Contents [hide]

Kingston History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Kingston History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Kingston is an old Anglo-Saxon name. It comes from when a family lived on lands or manors known as royal settlements. These royal settlements or Cyninges-tun were located throughout various towns and parishes in England. The surname Kingston originally derived from the place of residence known in Old English as Cyninges-tun.

Early Origins of the Kingston family

The surname Kingston was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat from very early times. "The manor-house [of Miserden] is said to have been built with the materials of the castle, and was, with the manor and estates, the property of the Kingston family, and their usual residence prior to the reign of James I." 1 The township of West Thornton in Northumberland was home to another ancient branch of the family. " Between the township and the river Hart is a farm of about 100 acres, which belonged to the Knights Templars, from whom the hamlet obtained the name of Temple-Thornton: this property, on the suppression of the order, was consigned, with their other estates in the county, to John de Kingston." 1

Early History of the Kingston family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kingston research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1175, 1519, 1540, 1545, 1552, 1553, 1555, 1556, 1635, 1692 and 1710 are included under the topic Early Kingston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kingston Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Kingston were recorded, including Kingston, Kingstone, Kingstoun, Kingstown, Kingstoune and many more.

Early Notables of the Kingston family

Notables of the family at this time include

Sir William Kingston (died 1540), Constable of the Tower
Sir Anthony Kingston (1519-1556), provost-marshal in Cornwall, Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in 1545, (1552-1553) and 1555
Richard Kingston (1635?-1710?), an English political pamphleteer, clerical impostor, and spy for the Jacobites, but in 1692, he was discovered and turned to spy for the other side

Kingston Ranking

In the United States, the name Kingston is the 5,058^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2 However, in Australia, the name Kingston is ranked the 888^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,434 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Kingston family to Ireland

Some of the Kingston 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.

Kingston migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Kingston family emigrate to North America:

Kingston Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Ellis Kingston who arrived in Virginia in 1607
Tho Kingston, who landed in Virginia in 1664 4
Elizabeth Kingston, who arrived in Virginia in 1670
Thomas Kingston, who arrived in Rowley, Massachusetts in 1672 4

Kingston Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Elias Kingston, who arrived in New England in 1711 4

Kingston Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles H Kingston, who arrived in America in 1805 4
Edward Kingston, who landed in Louisiana in 1810 4
Mary Kingston, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1812 4
Richard Kingston, aged 32, who landed in Tennessee in 1812 4
Samuel Kingston, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1812 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Kingston migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kingston Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mrs. Kingston Dorothea U.E. who settled in Parr Town [Saint John], New Brunswick c. 1784 5
Mr. Kingston James U.E. who settled in Parr Town [Saint John], New Brunswick c. 1784 5

Kingston Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John Kingston, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1831
Elizabeth Kingston, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1832
Paul Kingston, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1833
Miss. Ann Kingston, aged 1 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Wellington" departing 29th July 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 20th September 1847 but she died on board 6
Mr. Ernest Kingston, aged 36 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Jessie" departing 3rd June 1847 from Cork, Ireland; the ship arrived on 24th July 1847 but he died on board 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Kingston migration to Australia +

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

Kingston Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Benjamin Kingston, English convict from York, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on May 17, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 7
Mr. William Kingston, English convict who was convicted in Southampton, Hampshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Chapman" on 6th April 1824, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
Thomas Kingston, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on September 21, 1826, settling in New South Wales, Australia 9
George Strickland Kingston a surveyor, who arrived in Holdfast Bay, Australia aboard the ship "Cygnet" in 1836 10
George Strickland Kingston, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Eden" in 1838 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Kingston 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:

Kingston Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mrs. Hester Kingston, (b. 1835), aged 25, English settler from Somerset travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "William Miles" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st August 1860 12
Mr. Henry Kingston, (b. 1838), aged 22, English sawyer from Somerset travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "William Miles" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st August 1860 12
J. L. Kingston a surgeon, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Andrew Jackson" in 1865
Paul Kingston, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Dilharree" in 1875
Mr. Kingston, British settler travelling from London via Cape ports aboard the ship "Pembroke Castle" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 5th November 1889 12

Kingston migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 13

Kingston Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

James Kingston, who settled in Barbados in 1635
James Kingston, aged 22, who arrived in Barbados in 1635 4
Mr. James Kingston, (b. 1613), aged 22, British settler travelling aboard the ship "Expedition" arriving in Barbados in 1636 14
John Kingston and his wife Phillisi went to Barbados in 1679

Contemporary Notables of the name Kingston (post 1700) +

Lady Gabriella Marina Alexandra Ophelia Kingston (b. 1981), née Windsor, a British writer and contributing editor, daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, widow of Thomas Kingston
Thomas Kingston (1979-2024), British financier, specialist in frontier market investment, husband of Lady Windsor Gabriella
Ashwell Kingston (b. 1988), American editor of Predator: The Quietus
Kenny Kingston (1927-2014), American psychic medium; he did readings for John Wayne, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Rex Harrison, Lucille Ball and many more
Maxine Hong Kingston (b. 1940), Chinese American writer
General Robert Charles Kingston (1928-2007), American general who served as the commander of United States Central Command 15
Richard Kingston, American politician, U.S. Consular Agent in Dartmouth, 1884 16
John T. Kingston Jr., American Democratic Party politician, Member of Wisconsin State Senate, 1891-93 16
John T. Kingston, American Republican politician, Member of Wisconsin State Senate, 1857-58, 1861-62, 1882-83; Presidential Elector for Wisconsin, 1880 16
John Heddens Kingston (b. 1955), American Republican politician, Member of Georgia State House of Representatives, 1985-93; U.S. Representative from Georgia 1st District, 1993- 16
... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Kingston family +

Halifax Explosion

Mr. Garrett Cotor Kingston (1845-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who survived the Halifax Explosion (1917) but later died due to injuries 17

HMS Hood

Mr. Jack Kingston (b. 1920), English Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 18

St. Francis Dam

Mr. John James "A. J." Kingston, American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
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)
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
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 83)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1823
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 26th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/chapman
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1826 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1826
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Cygnet arrived Holdfast Bay, Adealide Sept. 11, 1836. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1836Cygnet.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) EDEN 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Eden.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 29th September 2021. Retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Robert Kingston. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Robert Kingston. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_C._Kingston
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm