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Kinkead History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Kinkead History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Kinkead

What does the name Kinkead mean?

The age-old Scottish surname Kinkead was first used by the Strathclyde-Briton people. The Kinkead family lived at Kincaid in the county of Stirlingshire. The name of Kincaith, from which the family derive their name is almost certainly of Gaelic origin, coming from the Gaelic words "ceann", meaning top or head and "caithe", meaning pass. 1 2

Early Origins of the Kinkead family

The surname Kinkead was first found in Stirlingshire. The earliest evidence of the surname Kinkead was found in the parish of Campsie, Stirlingshire north of Glasgow. 3

Early History of the Kinkead family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kinkead research. Another 171 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1450, 1457, 1467, 1493, 1545, 1579, 1600, 1609, 1660, 1661, 1687, 1726, 1787, 1815, 1840 and 1902 are included under the topic Early Kinkead History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kinkead Spelling Variations

In Medieval times, spelling and translation were not nearly so highly developed as today. They were generally carried out according to the sound and intuition of the bearer. For that reason spelling variations are extremely common among early Scottish names. Kinkead has been spelled Kincaid, Kinkeed, Kincade, Kyncade, Kinkaid and many more.

Early Notables of the Kinkead family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Jean Kincaid (1579-1600) who led an unfortunate life with a brutal husband, John Kincaid of Warriston. Eventually, his violent ways became too much for her to bear and she incited a servant of hers named Robert Weir, to batter the man to death with his bare fists. He was admitted by Mrs. Kincaid into her husband's chamber in his house at Warriston at an early hour on the morning of Tuesday, 1 July 1600, and he killed Kincaid with his fists. News of the murder quickly reached Edinburgh, and 'the Lady Warristoun,' 'the...
Another 171 words (12 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kinkead Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kinkead Ranking

In the United States, the name Kinkead is the 13,741^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Kinkead family to Ireland

Some of the Kinkead family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 121 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kinkead migration to the United States +

Unrest, poverty, and persecution caused thousands to look for opportunity and freedom in the North American colonies. The crossing was long, overcrowded, and unsanitary, though, and came only at great expense. Many Strathclyde families settled on the east coast of North America in communities that would form the backbone of what would become the great nations of the United States and Canada. The American War of Independence caused those who remained loyal to England to move north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the 20th century, Strathclyde and other Scottish families across North America began to recover their collective heritage through highland games and Clan societies. Among them:

Kinkead Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Edmund Kinkead, aged 22, who settled in America, in 1895

Kinkead Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

John T. Kinkead, aged 23, who immigrated to the United States from Kilonallack Co. Limerick, in 1906
Michael J. Kinkead, aged 20, who immigrated to the United States from Farnham, Ireland, in 1907
Bertha Kinkead, aged 26, who landed in America, in 1907
Anna Kinkead, who immigrated to the United States, in 1910
Edmund Kinkead, aged 38, who landed in America from Kingston, Jamaica, in 1911
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Kinkead migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Kinkead Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Edward Kinkead, aged 38, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1872
Margaret Kinkead, aged 34, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1872
Arthur Kinkead, aged 7, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1872

Contemporary Notables of the name Kinkead (post 1700) +

Robert Kinkead (1952-2019), American chef and restaurateur based in Washington D.C
Cleves Kinkead, American writer, best known for his 1915 play Common Clay, the basis for a 1919 silent film Common Clay starring Fannie Ward
Maeve Kinkead (b. 1946), American soap opera actress
John Henry Kinkead (1826-1904), American politician, third Governor of Nevada, first Governor of the District of Alaska
Eugene F. Kinkead (1876-1960), American politician from New Jersey
Warner S. Kinkead, American politician, U.S. Consul in Southampton, 1897 5
Shelby C. Kinkead, American politician, Mayor of Lexington, Kentucky, 1956-59 5
John Henry Kinkead (1826-1904), American Republican politician, Treasurer of Nevada Territory, 1862-64; Delegate to Nevada State Constitutional Convention, 1863; Governor of Nevada, 1879-83; Governor of Alaska District, 1884-85 5
George B. Kinkead, American politician, Secretary of State of Kentucky, 1846-47 5
Eugene Francis Kinkead (1876-1960), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from New Jersey, 1909-15 5
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Kinkead 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: I'll defend

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html