|
![Show Contents]() Kinison History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Wales
The forbears of the name Kinison once lived in or near some now-lost place called Kynaston, which experts agree was probably in the English border county of Shropshire. The surname Kinison belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Early Origins of the Kinison familyThe surname Kinison was first found in Shropshire, where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Kinnerly, some say before the Norman Conquest of England by Duke William of Normandy in 1066. Conjecturally they are descended from the Princes of Powys in Wales, through Griffith, son of Joerweth Goch, Lord of Mochnan, younger son of Meredith, Prince of Powis who took refuge in Shropshire. King Henry III of England gave him lands in that county. He married Matilda, the heiress of Ralph le Strange by whom he acquired the Manor of Kinnerly. Griffith' son, Griffith Vychan settled at Tre-gynvarth, which, when anglicized, is Kynvarth's Town, which, when spoken, became slurred into Kynastown, or Kynaston. Early History of the Kinison familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kinison research. Another 202 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1433, 1459, 1491, 1495, 1516, 1534, 1554, 1564, 1587, 1590, 1621, 1622, 1640, 1642 and 1712 are included under the topic Early Kinison History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Kinison Spelling VariationsCompared to other ancient cultures found in the British Isles, the number of Welsh surnames are relatively few, but there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations. These spelling variations began almost as soon as surname usage became common. As a result, people could not specify how to spell their own names leaving the specific recording up to the individual scribe or priest. Those recorders would then spell the names as they heard them, causing many different variations. Later, many Welsh names were recorded in English. This transliteration process was extremely imprecise since the Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh used many sounds the English language was not accustomed to. Finally, some variations occurred by the individual's design: a branch loyalty within a family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The Kinison name over the years has been spelled Kynaston, Kynerston, Kinnaston, Kinaston, Keniston, Kennison, Kenison and many more. Early Notables of the Kinison familyProminent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Francis Kynaston (1516-1590), an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Shropshire in April 1554; Sir Francis Kynaston or Kinaston (1587-1642), an English lawyer, courtier, poet and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1621 to 1622...
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kinison Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Kinison familyThe Welsh began to emigrate to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s in search of land, work, and freedom. Those that arrived helped shape the industry, commerce, and the cultural heritage of both Canada and the United States. The records regarding immigration and passenger show a number of people bearing the name Kinison: Allen Keniston, who sailed to Virginia in 1624; Richard Keniston to Virginia in 1655; and Mary Kynaston, who landed in America in 1769.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Kinison (post 1700) | + |
- Samuel Burl "Sam" Kinison (1953-1992), American stand-up comedian and actor
|
