Show ContentsKinkescot History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the bearers of the Kinkescot family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in the parish of Kingscote, in Gloucestershire. The place-name is derived from the Old English elements cyne, which meant king, and cot, which meant cottage. The place-name as a whole means "king's cottage."

Early Origins of the Kinkescot family

The surname Kinkescot was first found in Gloucestershire at Kingscote, a village and civil parish in the Cotswold district. The family traces their origin to "Ansgerus, or Arthur, owner of the lands in Combe, in the parish of Wotton under Edge, the gift of the Empress Maude. The manor of Kingsote, which had been given by William I to Roger de Berkeley, was inherited from Aldeva, the daughter of Robert Fitz-Hardinge and the wife of Nigel de Kingscote, soon after the reign of Henry II." 1 Another version goes thusly "Nigel Fitz-Arthur, grandson of Asgerus the Saxon, in AD 1085, married Adeva, daughter of Robert Fitz-Harding, grandson of Sueno, 3rd King of Denmark, by Eva, niece of William the Conqueror. With this lady he received in dower the manor of Kingscote, called in the Domesday Book, Chinescote. " 2

Early History of the Kinkescot family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kinkescot research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1462, 1463 and 1656 are included under the topic Early Kinkescot History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kinkescot Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Kinkescot include Kingscote, Kingscott, Kingscoat, Kingshott and others.

Early Notables of the Kinkescot family

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

Migration of the Kinkescot family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Kinkescot or a variant listed above: William Kingscott settled in Barbados in 1663; and later transferred to the mainland.



  1. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.


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