| ![Show Contents]() Kensit History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Scotland Ireland The Dalriadan clans of ancient Scotland spawned the ancestors of the Kensit family. Their name comes from the personal name Coinneach. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Coinnich or Mac Choinnich, both of which mean son of Coinneach. However, In Adamnan, the Gaelic form of the name is Cainnechus, which is derived from the word cann, meaning fair or bright; thus, the surname is of the 'nickname' variety in this case. Early Origins of the Kensit familyThe surname Kensit was first found in Ross-shire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Rois) a former county, now part of the Council Areas of Highland and Western Isles in Northern Scotland, which emerged from the Gaelic lordship of the Earl of Ross, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects. Early History of the Kensit familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kensit research. Another 192 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1278, 1561, 1568, 1569, 1594, 1611, 1630, 1635, 1636, 1651, 1662, 1677, 1678, 1688, 1691, 1714, 1715, 1771 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Kensit History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Kensit Spelling VariationsThe medieval practice of spelling according to sound and repeated translation between Gaelic and English created many spelling variations of the same name. Kensit has been recorded as MacKenzie, McKenzie, Kennethson, Kenneth, Kennieson, MacCoinnich (Gaelic), MacWhinnie, MacWhinny, MacWhinney and many more. Early Notables of the Kensit familyNotable amongst the Clan from early times was John Mackenzie (died c. 1561), or "John of Killin", traditionally reckoned 9th of Kintail, a Highland chief; Kenneth Mackenzie (died 1568), 10th of Kintail and nicknamed Coinneach na Cuirc (or "Kenneth of the Whittle"), a Highland chief; Colin Mackenzie of Kintail (died 1594), nicknamed "Cam" ("crooked", because one-eyed), a Highland chief; Kenneth Mackenzie, the first Lord Mackenzie of Kintail (c.1569-1611), a Highland Clan chief...
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kensit Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Kensit family to Ireland
Some of the Kensit family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Kensit migration to the United States | + |
Descendents of Dalriadan-Scottish families still populate many communities across North America. They are particularly common in Canada, since many went north as United Empire Loyalists at the time of the American War of Independence. Much later, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the highland games and Clan societies that now dot North America sprang up, allowing many Scots to recover their lost national heritage. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Kensit, or a variant listed above:
Kensit Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Henry W. Kensit, aged 27, arrived in New York in 1903 aboard the ship "Campania" from Liverpool, England 1
- Iris Alice Kensit, aged 18, originally from London, England, arrived in New York in 1911 aboard the ship "Oceanic" from Southampton, England 1
- Henry E. Mordaunt Kensit, aged 47, originally from High Myecombe, England, arrived in New York in 1915 aboard the ship "Adriatic" from Liverpool, England 1
- Percy Cecil Kensit, aged 30, originally from Crookwell, Australia, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Royal George" from Liverpool, England 1
- Sydney V Kensit, aged 28, originally from Crookwell, Australia, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Royal George" from Liverpool, England 1
| Contemporary Notables of the name Kensit (post 1700) | + |
- Louisa Kensit (1877-1970), birth name of Harriet Margaret Louisa Bolus, South African botanist and taxonomist, curator of the Bolus Herbarium, from 1903
- Patricia Jude Francis "Patsy" Kensit (b. 1968), British actress, singer, model, and former child star
- John Kensit (1853-1902), English religious leader and polemicist
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: Luceo non uro
Motto Translation: I shine not burn.
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Kensit migration to the United States 
