Kenington History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The history of the Kenington family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in one of the places called Kennington in Berkshire, Kent, or Surrey. The surname Kenington belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Kenington family

The surname Kenington was first found in Kent, Berkshire and Surrey, where they held a family seat before the Norman Conquest. The district of Kennington in Surrey is by far the oldest places on record. "The name is said to be of Saxon origin, there having been a royal palace here prior to the Conquest, whence the appellation Cynington, from the Saxon Cyning, a king. Kennington is distinguished in history as the scene of the banquet, or marriage festival of a Danish nobleman, at which Hardicanute, the son of Canute the Great, became the victim of his own intemperance, or, according to some writers, was poisoned." 1

Early History of the Kenington family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kenington research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1222, 1273, 1369 and 1795 are included under the topic Early Kenington History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kenington Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Kenington include Kennington, Kenington, Keninton, Kenyngeton and many more.

Early Notables of the Kenington family

Distinguished members of the family include

Michael de Kenington, a prominent 13th century landholder in Norfolk

Migration of the Kenington family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Kenington or a variant listed above: John Kennington, who sailed to Pennsylvania in 1777 and Andrew and Catherine Kenning, who settled in Mobile, Alabama in 1832.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.