Kiss History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Kiss

What does the name Kiss mean?

The name Kiss is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name was taken on by someone who worked as a maker of leather armor for the knight's legs. In some cases the name was used as a trade name for a shoemaker. Further research showed the name was derived from the Old French word cuisse, a type of leather armor.

Early Origins of the Kiss family

The surname Kiss was first found in Leicestershire, where they held a family seat from early times.

Early History of the Kiss family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kiss research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1327, 1455, 1545, 1576 and 1765 are included under the topic Early Kiss History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kiss Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Kiss include Kiss, Kish, Kyshe, Kysh, Kysse, Cuss, Cusse, Cush and others.

Early Notables of the Kiss family

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

Kiss Ranking

In the United States, the name Kiss is the 12,807^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Kiss migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Kiss Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Anthony Kiss who sailed to Philadelphia in 1858
Charles Kiss, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1872 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Kiss (post 1700) +

Robert S. Kiss (1957-2021), American Democratic politician from West Virginia, 54th Speaker of the House for the West Virginia House of Delegates (1997-2007)
Antal Kiss (1935-2021), Hungarian silver medalist race walker at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Ferenc Kiss (1942-2015), Hungarian wrestler at the 1964, 1968 and 1972 Summer Olympics; he won the bronze medal at the 1972 Olympics
Geza Kiss (1882-1952), Hungarian sliver and bronze Olympic medalist for swimming at 1904 games

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)