Show ContentsKyme History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Kyme was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Kyme family lived in Lincolnshire. The surname comes from one of two places in Lincolnshire which bear the name Kyme: South Kyme and North Kyme, both in the vicinity of Tattershall. [1]

Early Origins of the Kyme family

The surname Kyme was first found in Lincolnshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Kestevan. At the time of the taking of the Domesday Book census in 1086 initiated by Duke William of Normandy after his conquest of England in 1066, the holdings are not shown but later, within the next century, it was recorded as the Honour of Kymes. [2]

"This parish, which is situated on that part of the Sleaford navigation called Kyme Eau, derived its name from the Kyme family, who were barons by tenure and writ in the reign of Stephen, and had a seat here, mentioned by Leland as a 'goodly house and park,' of which only the tower now remains." [1]

Sir William, the founder of the family, also founded the Priory of Bolinton about 1135. "The Kymes assumed the surname from a fair lordship, the principal place of their residence in Kesteven. " [3]

Sir Philip de Kyme was the first officially recorded, succeeded by his son Sir William de Kyme. Sir Philip was Baron Kyme, Lord of the Manor, and was summoned to Parliament in 1295-1313 to represent Lincolnshire. Sir William was summoned to Parliament in 1323-1336.

Early History of the Kyme family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kyme research. Another 131 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1160, 1412, 1413, 1414, 1420, 1422, 1427, 1428, 1431, 1433, 1455, 1463 and 1530 are included under the topic Early Kyme History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kyme Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Kimes, Kymes, Kyme, Kime and others.

Early Notables of the Kyme family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Gilbert Kymer (died 1463), an early English educator and physician, Dean of Salisbury, Chancellor of the University of Oxford. was educated at Durham College, on the site of which the present Trinity...
  • on 28 June of that year was appointed treasurer of Salisbury, and on 28 Feb. 1427-1428 was ordained sub-deacon by William, bishop of London, and priest on 29 May following. From 1431 to 1433 he was ch...


United States Kyme migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Kyme or a variant listed above:

Kyme Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johannes Kyme, who landed in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania in 1743 [4]

Australia Kyme migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Kyme Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Robert Kyme, English convict who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for 6 years, transported aboard the "Edwin Fox" on 24th August 1858, arriving in Western Australia, Australia


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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