Show ContentsKinneen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Kinneen

What does the name Kinneen mean?

The Clan from whom the Kinneen family descends began among the ancient Dalriadan kingdom of the west coast of Scotland. Their name comes from the Gaelic personal name Findgaine. This is derived from the earlier forms Finghin and Finnguine. The Gaelic form of the surname is Mac Fhionghuin or Mac Fhionnghain.

Kinneen Coat of Arms Creation

The Mackinnons have a boar's head with a shin bone in its mouth, which was adopted as their crest in memory of the following legendary incident.

Mackinnon of Strathaird in Skye and six men were out after deer, and when the hunt was over they went into a cave where they roasted some venison. While they were eating it, the mouth of the cave was darkened by a huge boar, evidently ready to attack them. His men retreated to the innermost recesses of the cave, but Mackinnon remained ready to face the boar. Just as it was in the act of charging, he thrust the shin bone down the animal's throat and choked it. Hence the crest. The motto is in Latin " Audentes fortuna juvat " (Fortune favours the daring). 1

Early Origins of the Kinneen family

The surname Kinneen was first found in on the Isles of Mull and Skye, where they held a family seat from early times. This distinguished Scottish Clan descended from Kenneth MacAlpin, King of Scotland who died in the 9th century and were part of the Siol Alpin, a group of Clans descended from the King. They held lands in Mull, Skye and Iona, and were long time Abbots of Iona. They were connected with the MacDonalds and other Alpin Clans such as the MacNabs and the MacGregors. The Clan was present at the Battle of Inverlochy under the Montrose and being of royalist influence they supported King Charles at Worcester. Again in 1745 in Culloden they supported the Stuarts and the Chief was imprisoned in London in the Tower.

Early History of the Kinneen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kinneen research. Another 319 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1409, 1467, 1495, 1506, 1536, 1545, 1557, 1560, 1577, 1586, 1609, 1621, 1662, 1673, 1675, 1681, 1745, 1789, 1791, 1804, 1808, 1812, 1813, 1814, 1826, 1829, 1830, 1836, 1870 and 1884 are included under the topic Early Kinneen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kinneen Spelling Variations

Historical recordings of the name Kinneen include many spelling variations. They are the result of repeated translations of the name from Gaelic to English and inconsistencies in spelling rules. They include MacKinnon, MacKinning, MacInnon, MacKinnen, MacFingon and many more.

Early Notables of the Kinneen family

Daniel MacKinnon (1791-1836), colonel and historian of the Coldstream guards, born in 1791, was son of William Mackinnon, chief of the Clan Mackinnon. William Alexander Mackinnon (1789-1870) was his elder brother, and Daniel Henry Mackinnon (1813-1884) was his first cousin. On 16 June 1804 he was appointed ensign in the Coldstream guards, in which his uncle, Henry Mackinnon, author of 'A Journal of...
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kinneen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Kinneen migration to Canada+

Significant portions of the populations of both the United States and Canada are still made up of the ancestors of Dalriadan families. Some of those in Canada originally settled the United States, but went north as United Empire Loyalists in the American War of Independence. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the ancestors of many Scots on both sides of the border begin to recover their collective national heritage through Clan societies and highland games. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Kinneen Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Patrick Kinneen, aged 28, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Trafalgar" from Galway, Ireland


The Kinneen 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: Audentes fortuna juvat
Motto Translation: Fortune favours the bold


  1. Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print


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