Show ContentsKincade History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

A family of Strathclyde-Briton were the first to use the name Kincade. They lived at Kincaid in the county of Stirlingshire. The name of Kincaith, from which the family derive their name is almost certainly of Gaelic origin, coming from the Gaelic words "ceann", meaning top or head and "caithe", meaning pass. 1 2

Early Origins of the Kincade family

The surname Kincade was first found in Stirlingshire. The earliest evidence of the surname Kincade was found in the parish of Campsie, Stirlingshire north of Glasgow. 3

Early History of the Kincade family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kincade research. Another 171 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1450, 1457, 1467, 1493, 1545, 1579, 1600, 1609, 1660, 1661, 1687, 1726, 1787, 1815, 1840 and 1902 are included under the topic Early Kincade History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kincade Spelling Variations

In the era before dictionaries, there were no rules governing the spelling or translation of names or any other words. Consequently, there are an enormous number of spelling variations in Medieval Scottish names. Kincade has appeared as Kincaid, Kinkeed, Kincade, Kyncade, Kinkaid and many more.

Early Notables of the Kincade family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Jean Kincaid (1579-1600) who led an unfortunate life with a brutal husband, John Kincaid of Warriston. Eventually, his violent ways became too much for her to bear and she incited a servant of hers named Robert Weir, to batter the man to death with his bare fists. He was admitted by Mrs. Kincaid into her husband's chamber in his house at Warriston at an early hour on the morning of Tuesday, 1 July 1600, and he killed Kincaid with his fists. News of the murder quickly reached Edinburgh, and 'the Lady Warristoun,' 'the...
Another 171 words (12 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kincade Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kincade Ranking

In the United States, the name Kincade is the 12,395th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Kincade family to Ireland

Some of the Kincade family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 121 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Kincade migration to the United States +

The freedom, opportunity, and land of the North American colonies beckoned. There, Scots found a place where they were generally free from persecution and where they could go on to become important players in the birth of new nations. Some fought in the American War of Independence, while others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these Scottish settlers have been able to recover their lost national heritage in the last century through highland games and Clan societies in North America. Among them:

Kincade Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • G. R. Kincade, aged 38, who landed in America, in 1905
  • John Kincade, aged 27, who landed in America from Derry, Ireland, in 1907
  • John D. Kincade, aged 21, who immigrated to the United States, in 1912
  • Emma C. Kincade, aged 45, who immigrated to the United States, in 1912
  • Lee Kincade, aged 30, who settled in America, in 1920
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Kincade migration to Australia +

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

Kincade Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • William Kincade, aged 27, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Constance" 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Kincade (post 1700) +

  • Keylon Kincade (b. 1982), American football running back from Troup, Texas
  • John Kincade, American sports talk show host based in Atlanta, Georgia


  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CONSTANCE 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Constance.htm


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