Show ContentsKinton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The present generation of the Kinton family is only the most recent to bear a name that dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from having lived in one of the variety of places called Kenton in the counties of Devon, Middlesex, Northumberland, and Suffolk.

Early Origins of the Kinton family

The surname Kinton was first found in Suffolk where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Kinton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kinton research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1154, 1530 and 1536 are included under the topic Early Kinton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kinton Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Kinton include Kenton, Kentone and others.

Early Notables of the Kinton family

Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kinton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Kinton migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Kinton were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Kinton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Kinton, who landed in Virginia in 1622 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Kinton (post 1700) +

  • Leslie Kinton, one of Canada’s best-known and most sought-after chamber musicians


  1. 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)


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