Kinnaird History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

Etymology of Kinnaird

What does the name Kinnaird mean?

The chronicles of the Kinnaird family reach back into Scottish history to an ancient tribe known as the Picts. The ancestors of the Kinnaird family lived in the barony of Kinnaird in the county of Perth; and as such, the surname belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Kinnaird family

The surname Kinnaird was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, where they held a family seat from very ancient times in the barony named Kinnaird. Radulphus Rufus had a charter from King William the Lion of the barony of Kinnaird in Perthshire and it is from this early origin that the surname was assumed. 1 2

"The family descended from Radalphus Rufus, who obtained a charter of the barony of Kinnaird in the Carse of Gowrie, Perthshire, from William the Lion, king of Scotland from 1165 to 1214. To this barony the neighbouring lands of Inchture were united in 1399 by the marriage of Reginald de Kinnaird with Margaret, the heiress of Sir John Kirkaldy of Inchture. " 3

Early History of the Kinnaird family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kinnaird research. Another 166 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1180, 1296, 1428, 1435, 1449, 1546, 1567, 1622, 1653, 1661, 1663, 1683, 1684, 1689, 1701, 1707, 1715, 1727 and 1758 are included under the topic Early Kinnaird History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kinnaird Spelling Variations

When the first dictionaries were invented in the last few hundred years, spelling gradually became standardized. Before that time, scribes spelled according to sound. Names were often recorded under different spelling variations every time they were written. Kinnaird has been written Kinnard, Kinnaird, Kynnard, Kennard, Kynharde, Kinzerd, Kinnart, Kynnart and many more.

Early Notables of the Kinnaird family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

George Kinnaird, 1st Lord Kinnaird (c. 1622-1689), a Scottish aristocrat and politician, member of the Privy Council of Scotland, Member of Parliament for Perthshire from 1661 to 1663. 3
His descendants included: Patrick Kinnaird, 2nd Lord Kinnaird (1653-1701); Patrick Kinnaird, 3rd Lord Kinnaird (1683-1715); Patrick Kinnaird, 4th Lord Kinnaird (1707-1727); and Charles Kinnaird, 5th L...

Kinnaird migration to the United States +

The crossing to North America did not seem so great in comparison with the hardships many Scots endured at home. It was long, expensive, and cramped, but also rewarding. North America offered land and the chance for settlers to prove themselves in a new place. And many did prove themselves as they fought to forge a new nation in the American War of Independence. The ancestors of those Scots can now experience much of their once-lost heritage through the Clan societies and highland games that have sprung up across North America in the last century. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important, early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Kinnaird:

Kinnaird Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Kinnaird, who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1767

Kinnaird Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Joseph S. Kinnaird, aged 20, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Tuscan Prince" from London, England 4
Joseph S. Kinnaird, aged 20, who arrived in New York, New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Korean Prince" from Brazil and Trinidad 4
Jean M. Kinnaird, originally from Lossiemouth, Scotland, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Aquitania" from Southampton, England 4
Joseph Smith Kinnaird, aged 20, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Tuscan Prince" from Trinidad, British West Indies 4
James Kinnaird, aged 58, who arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Algeria" from Glasgow, Scotland 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Kinnaird 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:

Kinnaird Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Kinnaird, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Nimroud" in 1864
Charlotte Kinnaird, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Nimroud" in 1864
Mr. Robert Kinnaird, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Sevilla" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 4th September 1864 5
Mrs. Kinnaird, Scottish settler with 7 children travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Sevilla" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 4th September 1864 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Kinnaird (post 1700) +

Graham Charles Kinnaird (1912-1997), 13th Lord Kinnaird, 5th Baron Kinnaird, Scottish peer
Kenneth Fitzgerald Kinnaird (b. 1880), 12th Lord Kinnaird, 4th Baron Kinnaird, Scottish peer
Hon. Douglas Arthur Kinnaird (1879-1914), Master of Kinnaird, Scottish peer
Arthur Fitzgerald Kinnaird (1847-1923), 11th Lord Kinnaird, 3rd Baron Kinnaird, Scottish peer and principal of The Football Association
Arthur Fitzgerald Kinnaird (1814-1887), 10th Lord Kinnaird, 2nd Baron Kinnaird, Scottish peer, banker and politician
Charles Fox Kinnaird (1841-1860), Master of Kinnaird, Scottish peer
Victor Alexander Kinnaird (1840-1851), Master of Kinnaird, Scottish peer
George William Fox Kinnaird (1807-1878), 9th Lord Kinnaird, 1st Baron Kinnaird, Scottish peer and politician, Master of the Buckhounds (1839-1841)
Charles Kinnaird (1780-1826), 8th Lord Kinnaird, Scottish peer
George Kinnaird (1754-1805), 7th Lord Kinnaird, Scottish peer, virtuoso, and banker
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Kinnaird 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: Qui patitur vincit
Motto Translation: He conquers who endures.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html