| ![Show Contents]() Keigwin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of KeigwinWhat does the name Keigwin mean? The surname Keigwin was originally formed in the western region of Britain in the rugged country of Wales. Keigwin began its life as a nickname for a person who was nicknamed "white dog" from the Old English word "Kei" - a dog, and "gwyn" - white: and thus figuratively, a hero. Nicknames form a broad category surnames, and were frequently the result of a spontaneous reaction to a particular occasion or event; thus their meanings were significant to the original bearers and their contemporaries, but baffle modern scholars who lack knowledge of the original context of the nickname. Early Origins of the Keigwin familyThe surname Keigwin was first found in Cardiganshire (Welsh: Sir Aberteifi), the former Kingdom of Ceredigion, created as a county in 1282 by Edward I, and located on the West coast of Wales, where they held a family seat. The name rose to prominence when they moved to Cornwall and settled at Mousehole where the first on official record was Carne Keigwin of Mousehole about 1380. "An ancient Cornish family. Mr Dixon derives the surname from Welsh and Cornish roots signifying White Dog, and the three greyhounds argent in the arms seem to allude to this derivation." 1 Early History of the Keigwin familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Keigwin research. Another 182 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1410, 1432, 1595, 1605, 1639, 1641, 1646, 1647, 1658, 1665, 1666, 1682, 1690, 1700 and 1716 are included under the topic Early Keigwin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Keigwin Spelling VariationsWelsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Keigwin has occasionally been spelled Keigwin, Keegwin, Keggwin, Keggin, Keigwine, Keigwyn, Kedgwynn and many more. Early Notables of the Keigwin family- John Keigwin (1641-1716) Cornish antiquary, born at Mousehole, notable for 'Mount Calvary' in Cornish, and his translations of William Jordan's 'Creation to Flood' from Cornish to English in 1682. In...
- Richard Keigwin (d. 1690), was a Cornish naval and military commander and was third son of Richard Keigwin (1605-1647) of Penzance, by Margaret, daughter of Nicholas Godolphin of Trewarveneth. He was...
| Keigwin migration to the United States | + |
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in search of land, work, and freedom. These immigrants greatly contributed to the rapid development of the new nations of Canada and the United States. They also added a rich and lasting cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Keigwin:
Keigwin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Richard Keigwin who landed in North America in 1699
| Contemporary Notables of the name Keigwin (post 1700) | + |
- James Keigwin (1829-1904), American politician, Member of Indiana State Senate, 1871 2
- Richard Prescott Keigwin (1883-1972), English cricketer and hockey player
- Henry Keigwin (1881-1916), English cricketer
- Herbert Keigwin (1878-1962), English cricketer
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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