Kindig History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Family Crest Image (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

The Kindig 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 Kindig 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 Kindig family originally lived in the county of Cornwall, at Kingdon manor. A number of places of this name exist in various counties of England. It translates as the house of the king.

Early Origins of the Kindig family

The surname Kindig was first found in the county of Cornwall where they held a family seat from early times.

Early History of the Kindig family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kindig research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 146 and 1462 are included under the topic Early Kindig History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kindig Spelling Variations

Cornish 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 Kindon, Kingdon, Kingdom and others.

Early Notables of the Kindig family (pre 1700)

More information is included under the topic Early Kindig Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kindig family to Ireland

Some of the Kindig family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kindig migration to the United States +

Early records show that people bearing the name Kindig arrived in North America quite early:

Kindig Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Kindig, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1743 ^[1]
Martin Kindig, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1743 ^[1]

Kindig Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph Kindig, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1875 ^[1]

Contemporary Notables of the name Kindig (post 1700) +

John M. Kindig (b. 1869), Union Army soldier in the American Civil War who received the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism on 12 May 1864
James W. Kindig (b. 1927), American jurist, Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court
William Harvey Kindig (1889-1946), American politician, candidate for California state controller in 1934, Los Angeles City Council member from 1935 to 1937
Richard H. Kindig (1916-2008), American photographer, known for his many photographs of the rail transport industry in Colorado
Howard Wayne Kindig Jr. (1941-1965), American former football defensive end who played from 1965 to 1974
Thomas Kindig (b. 1996), Austrian footballer
Anne Kindig Kursinski (b. 1959), American two-time silver medalist equestrian in the sport of show jumping

The Kindig 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: Regis donum gratum bonum
Motto Translation: A king's gift is pleasant and good.

Citations +

^ 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)