Show ContentsKinnard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Kinnard

What does the name Kinnard mean?

The Kinnard family saga is rooted in the people of the Pictish Clan of ancient Scotland. The Kinnard 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 Kinnard family

The surname Kinnard 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 Kinnard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kinnard 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 Kinnard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kinnard Spelling Variations

Prior to the invention of the printing press in the last hundred years, documents were basically unique. Names were written according to sound, and often appeared differently each time they were recorded. Spelling variations of the name Kinnard include Kinnard, Kinnaird, Kynnard, Kennard, Kynharde, Kinzerd, Kinnart, Kynnart and many more.

Early Notables of the Kinnard 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...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kinnard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kinnard Ranking

In the United States, the name Kinnard is the 7,967th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4


Kinnard migration to the United States +

The freedom of the North American colonies was enticing, and many Scots left to make the great crossing. It was a long and hard journey, but its reward was a place where there was more land than people and tolerance was far easier to come by. Many of these people came together to fight for a new nation in the American War of Independence, while others remained loyal to the old order as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of Scots in North America have recovered much of this heritage in the 20th century through Clan societies and other such organizations. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important and early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Kinnard:

Kinnard Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Kinnard, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1786
Kinnard Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • D. Kinnard, who settled in New York State in 1823
  • Charles Kinnard, who arrived in New York in 1835 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Kinnard (post 1700) +

  • Christian Kinnard, American film editor, known for his work on The Mindy Project (2012-2013)
  • Cannon Kinnard, American producer, known for his work on One of a Kind: Cars (2012)
  • William N. Kinnard Jr. (1926-2001), American real estate educator, author, and expert in the field of appraisal
  • George L. Kinnard (1803-1836), American politician, U.S. Representative from Indiana
  • Lieutenant General. Harry Kinnard (1916-2009), American Army officer who pioneered the airmobile concept during the Vietnam War, awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal (2), Legion of Merit (2) and the Silver StarBronze St
  • Claiborne H. Kinnard, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Army Air Forces, during World War II, credited with 8 aerial victories
  • Hugh Kinnard, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Essex County, 1875 6
  • George L. Kinnard (1803-1836), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Indiana State House of Representatives, 1827; U.S. Representative from Indiana 6th District, 1833-36 6
  • Wendy Kinnard (b. 1959), Jersey-born politician, Home Affairs Minister (2005-2008), former Senator of Jersey
  • Floyd Kinnard Rayford (b. 1957), American Major League Baseball player who played for the Baltimore Orioles (1980, 1982), St. Louis Cardinals (1983) and again for the Baltimore Orioles (1984–1987)


The Kinnard 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.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. 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)
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. 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)
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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