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Kenny History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Kenny History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland-Alt
Ireland

The Kenny surname in Ireland comes from the Gaelic Ó Coinnigh, which was an old Irish first name, made popular by a 6th century monk of the name, whose "church of Coinneach" became the name of the town Kilkenny.

Early Origins of the Kenny family

The surname Kenny was first found in counties Galway and Roscommon (Irish: Ros Comáin) located in central Ireland in the province of Connacht.

Early History of the Kenny family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kenny research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kenny History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kenny Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Kenny, O'Kenny, Kenney, Kennie and others.

Early Notables of the Kenny family

Notable among the family name at this time was

Reverend Arthur Kenny, noted religious controversialist

Kenny World Ranking

In the United States, the name Kenny is the 1,799^th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Kenny is ranked the 908^th most popular surname with an estimated 5,932 people with that name. 2 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Kenny is the 492^nd popular surname with an estimated 96 people with that name. 3 Australia ranks Kenny as 405^th with 9,125 people. 4 New Zealand ranks Kenny as 626^th with 1,141 people. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Kenny as 604^th with 10,838 people. 6

Kenny migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kenny Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Edmund Kenny, who settled in Virginia in 1635
Richard Kenny, who landed in Virginia in 1637 7
Edmund Kenny, who arrived in Virginia in 1655 7

Kenny Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Dennis Kenny, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1736 7
John Kenny, who settled in Virginia in 1771

Kenny Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mary Kenny, aged 36, who arrived in New York, NY in 1804 7
Alexander Kenny, who landed in New Jersey in 1811 7
David Kenny, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 7
Margaret Kenny, who landed in New York, NY in 1817 7
Robert Kenny, who arrived in New York, NY in 1817 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Kenny Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mrs. Annie Kenny, (b. 1882), aged 21, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 2nd August 1903 en route to Bowie, Cochise, Arizona, USA 8
Mr. Louis Bernhard Kenny, (b. 1891), aged 12, Cornish settler, from Camborne, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 2nd August 1903 en route to Bowie, Cochise, Arizona, USA 8

Kenny migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kenny Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Kenny William U.E. who settled in Parr Town [Saint John], New Brunswick c. 1784 9

Kenny Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Joseph Kenny, who arrived in Canada in 1812
Hugh Kenny, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1820
Sally Kenny, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1822
Michael Kenny, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1824
Patrick Kenny, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1829
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Kenny migration to Australia +

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

Kenny Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Mr. James Kenny, (b. 1771), aged 22, Irish school teacher who was convicted in Carlow, Ireland for 7 years for robbery, transported aboard the "Boddingtons" on 15th February 1793, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. John Kenny, (b. 1770), aged 23, Irish school teacher who was convicted in Carlow, Ireland for 7 years for robbery, transported aboard the "Boddingtons" on 15th February 1793, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1814 when he was bitten by a snake 10

Kenny Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr.Thomas Kenny, (b. 1802), aged 17, Irish black smith who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for life for burglary, transported aboard the "Bencoolen" on 24th April 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia before being transferred to Tasmania via the "Admiral Cockburn", he died in 1821 when he was executed 11
Mr.Thomas Kenny, (b. 1788), aged 31, Irish brick layer who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Bencoolen" on 24th April 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Mr. Edmond Kenny, (Edward), (b. 1792), aged 30, Irish convict who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 3rd September 1822, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. Michael Kenny, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 13th March 1828, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 13
Mr. Dennis Kenny, (b. 1811), aged 20, Irish carter who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for life for assault, transported aboard the "Captain Cook" on 5th November 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Kenny migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Kenny Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Kenny, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
Mjr. William Henry Kenny, British settler arriving as the 1st detachment of Royal New Zealand Fencible Corps travelling from Tilbury, Essex aboard the ship "Ramillies" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 6th August 1847 15
Mr. John Kenny, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Bernica" en route to Otago via passenger disembarked at Nelson, South Island, New Zealand in December 1848 16
Mrs. Mary Kenny, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Bernica" en route to Otago via passenger disembarked at Nelson, South Island, New Zealand in December 1848 16
Miss Susan Kenny, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Bernica" en route to Otago via passenger disembarked at Nelson, South Island, New Zealand in December 1848 16
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Kenny (post 1700) +

Maurice Frank Kenny (1929-2016), American Mohawk poet
Nicholas Aloysius "Nick" Kenny (1895-1975), American syndicated newspaper columnist and poet
Maurice Kenny (b. 1929), American author
Thomas Kenny (1933-2021), Irish sports administrator who was the second president of the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association
Dr. Colin Kenny B.E.M., British recipient of the British Empire Medal on 8th June 2018, for services to Diabetes Care in Northern Ireland 17
William Stopford Kenny (1788-1867), English compiler of educational works from Fitzroy Square, London
General Sir Brian Leslie Graham Kenny GCB, CBE (1934-2017), British Army officer, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (1990-1993)
Christopher Patrick Kenny ONZM (1938-2016), Irish-born, New Zealand boxing coach to the Commonwealth and Olympics Games New Zealand teams
Douglas Kenny (1924-1996), Canadian psychologist, head of the Department of Psychology, and later, President of the University of British Columbia (1975-1983)
Clayton Orten Kenny (1928-2015), Canadian boxer at the 1952 Summer Olympics
... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Kenny family +

HMS Repulse

Mr. John P Kenny, British Leading Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 18
Mr. Edward J Kenny, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 18

HMS Royal Oak

Ronald J. Kenny, British Able Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 19

RMS Lusitania

Mr. James Kenny, English Fireman from England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 20
Miss Agnes Kenny, English 3rd Class passenger from England, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 20

SS Southern Cross

Mr. Edward Kenny (1897-1914), Newfoundlander from Fermeuse who was aboard the "SS Southern Cross" when it is suspected she sank between the 31st March 1914 and early April during the storm with a heavy load of pelts; no survivors were ever found

The Kenny Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Vincit veritas
Motto Translation: Truth conquers.

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/boddingtons
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bencoolen
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/captain-cook
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62310, 31 October 2019 | London Gazette, The Gazette, June 2018, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/62310/supplement/B1
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/