Show ContentsKinday History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Kinday

What does the name Kinday mean?

Kinday is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Kinday family lived in Kinder, Derbyshire. The surname of Kinder was a local name which means of Kinder, a hamlet in the parish of Glossop, Derbyshire, near Chapel-en-le-Frith. 1

"Kinder may represent a Norse. personal name (cp. Dano-Norwegian kiender, ‘skilful man’)." 2

Early Origins of the Kinday family

The surname Kinday was first found in Derbyshire where they held a family seat at Kinder, a small hamlet originally called Chendre before the taking of the Domesday Book census. 3 Kinder is a hamlet near the Kinder Scout, the highest and best known mountain in the Peak District of Derbyshire, and is often called 'The Peak'. 4 At the time of the taking of the Domesday Book, 5 the hamlet of Kinder was "King's Land."

It is here that we find the first record of the family in early rolls. Philota de Kender was recorded in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1274 for Derybyshire. 6 Much later, Hugh Kynder was listed in London in 1419 and Margaret Kyndur was recorded in Cheshire in 1492. 7

Early History of the Kinday family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kinday research. Another 161 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1576, 1581, 1597, 1703, 1752, 1800, 1819, 1852, 1855, 1863, 1868, 1903 and 1936 are included under the topic Early Kinday History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kinday Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Kinder, Kynder, Chinder, Chendre, Kender, Kyender and others.

Early Notables of the Kinday family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Phillip Kinder (born 1597), also Kynder, an English writer from Nottinghamshire. His "Booke," a collection of oberservations, letters and poems is preserved in the Bodleian Library. 8John Kinder (1819-1903) was a London-born, New Zealand Anglican clergyman, teacher, artist and photographer. He emigrated to Auckland, New Zealand in July 1855 to become...
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kinday Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kinday family

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Kinday or a variant listed above: Bastian Kender who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1752; Anna Eva Kendar who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1763; Caspar and George Kinder settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1738.



  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  3. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  4. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  5. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  6. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  7. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  8. Lee, Sir Stanley, Dictionary of National Biography. London: The MacMillan Company 1909. Print


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