| ![Show Contents]() Kennaly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
England
Etymology of KennalyWhat does the name Kennaly mean? The Kennaly history begins in Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England. Quite distinct from Devon, the adjoining county, Cornwall had its own spoken language until the late 18th century. The Kennaly history began here. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames were derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. The Kennaly family originally lived in Devon, in the parish of Kennerleigh. Early Origins of the Kennaly familyThe surname Kennaly was first found in Devon, where they held a family seat from very early times. Early History of the Kennaly familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kennaly research. Another 213 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1243, 1500, 1661, 1746 and 1798 are included under the topic Early Kennaly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Kennaly Spelling VariationsCornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Kenerley, Kenerly, Kennerley, Kennerly, Kennerleigh, Kenerleigh, Kenardely and many more. Early Notables of the Kennaly familyMore information is included under the topic Early Kennaly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Kennaly migration to the United States | + |
Early records show that people bearing the name Kennaly arrived in North America quite early:
Kennaly Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- John D Kennaly, who arrived in St Clair County, Illinois in 1871 1
- 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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