Kenneth History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Scotland-Alt
• Scotland
• Ireland

Etymology of Kenneth

The old Scottish-Dalriadan name Kenneth is derived from the personal name Coinneach. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Coinnich or Mac Choinnich, both of which mean son of Coinneach. However, In Adamnan, the Gaelic form of the name is Cainnechus, which is derived from the word cann, meaning fair or bright; thus, the surname is of the 'nickname' variety in this case.

Kenneth Coat of Arms Creation

The Mackenzies have a deer's head for their crest, and the Gaelic motto, " Cuidich an Righ " (Help the King), alleged to have been given under the following circumstances:

The founder of the family, Colin Fitzgerald, who was reputed to be an Irish adventurer, was, in 1265, with his sovereign, Alexander III., hunting in the forest of Mar, when a stag, pursued by the hounds, made straight for the King. The brave Colin interposed his own person between His Majesty and the infuriated animal, shot the stag in the forehead, and in gratitude he was granted the right to use as his armorial bearings a stag's head bleeding where the arrow pierced it, with two greyhounds as supporters.

The incident of the hunt was painted by B. West for the last of the Seaforths. The artist received £800 for the noble picture, which is still preserved in Brahan Castle.

According to Nisbet their crest was a sun in its splendour, and the motto, " Luceo non uro " (I shine but I do not burn), which motto is now on the beautiful old furniture in Brahan Castle; but neither the above crest nor motto is shown in Burke's Peerage. 1

Early Origins of the Kenneth family

Early History of the Kenneth family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kenneth research. Another 192 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1278, 1561, 1568, 1569, 1594, 1611, 1630, 1635, 1636, 1651, 1662, 1677, 1678, 1688, 1691, 1714, 1715, 1771 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Kenneth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kenneth Spelling Variations

Translation in medieval times was an undeveloped science and was often carried out without due care. For this reason, many early Scottish names appeared radically altered when written in English. The spelling variations of Kenneth include MacKenzie, McKenzie, Kennethson, Kenneth, Kennieson, MacCoinnich (Gaelic), MacWhinnie, MacWhinny, MacWhinney and many more.

Early Notables of the Kenneth family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

• Kenneth Mackenzie (died 1568), 10th of Kintail and nicknamed Coinneach na Cuirc (or "Kenneth of the Whittle"), a Highland chief
• Kenneth Mackenzie, the first Lord Mackenzie of Kintail (c.1569-1611), a Highland Clan chief
• Kenneth Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Seaforth (1635-1678), a Highland clan chief and Scottish nobleman

Migration of the Kenneth family to Ireland

Some of the Kenneth family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kenneth family

These settlers arrived in North America at a time when the east was burgeoning with prosperous colonies and the expanses of the west were just being opened up. The American War of Independence was also imminent. Some Scots stayed to fight for a new country, while others who remained loyal went north as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of them went on to rediscover their heritage in the 20th century through highland games and other patriotic Scottish events. The Kenneth were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Alexander McKenzie, his wife Isobel and their four children, who settled in Philadelphia in 1775; John and Mary McKenzie, who settled with two children in New York in 1738.