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![Show Contents]() O'Kenedy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Ireland
The spelling and overall form of Irish names tend to vary widely over time. The original Gaelic form of the name O'Kenedy is O'Cinneide , which is derived from the words "ceann," which means "head," and "éidigh," which means "helmet" 1 or O'Cinnidha, which means "a nation" or "kind." 2 Early Origins of the O'Kenedy familyThe surname O'Kenedy was first found in County Tipperary (Irish: Thiobraid Árann), established in the 13th century in South-central Ireland, in the province of Munster. This distinguished Irish family were descended from Kennedy, nephew of King Brian Boru, Ireland's great Warrior King who fell in the battle of Clontarf in the year 1014. 2 The name has a long and illustrious history that begins in early times: Flan O'Kennedy, Abbot of Tim, a learned poet who died in 1110; two O'Kennedy of Ormond chiefs who were slain in 1117; Giolla-Kevin O'Kennedy who died on a pilgrimage at Killaloe in 1159; O'Kennedy, Abbot of Innisfallen who died in 1198; Donal O'Kennedy, Bishop of Killaloe who died in 1212; and many more. 2 Early History of the O'Kenedy familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'Kenedy research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1615 and 1685 are included under the topic Early O'Kenedy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. O'Kenedy Spelling VariationsMany variations of the name O'Kenedy were found in archives from the Middle Ages. Names during the Middle Ages were typically recorded as they sounded and in many cases, one's surname spelling changed with each record.The spelling and language in which the people's names were recorded was often up to the individual scribe. Variations of the name O'Kenedy found include Kennedy, Minagh, Kennady, O'Kennedy and others. Early Notables of the O'Kenedy familyProminent amongst the family at this time was Mathew Kennedy, who was forced to leave Ireland for France after the Fall of Limerick; Sir Robert Kennedy, 1st Baronet, an official of the...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early O'Kenedy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 O'Kenedy migration to the United States | + |
Irish families fled the English-colonized Ireland in record numbers during the 19th century for North America. Many of those destitute families died from disease during, and even shortly after, the long journey. Although those that immigrated before the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s often were granted a tract of land, those that arrived later were generally accommodated in urban centers or in work camps. Those in the urban centers would labor in the manufacturing sector, whereas those in work camps would to build critical infrastructures such as bridges, canals, roads, and railways. Regardless of when these Irish immigrants came to North America, they were critical for the rapid development of the young nations of the United States and Canada. Early immigration and passenger lists have recorded many early immigrants bearing the name of O'Kenedy:
O'Kenedy Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Teage O'Kenedy, who arrived in Virginia in 1666
- MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
- O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
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O'Kenedy migration to the United States 
