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

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Sources

Kinsey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Kinsey

What does the name Kinsey mean?

The Kinsey surname has several possible origins: no doubt some instances of this surname evolved from an Old English personal name made up of two elements, "cyne," or "royal" and "sige," or "victory." In Yorkshire, it is generally thought that bearers of Kinsey may have taken the name from a place name. Still other instances of Kinsey probably derive from a variation of the Kingsley surname. In any case, it would seem that this surname predates the Norman invasion of Britain.

Early Origins of the Kinsey family

The surname Kinsey was first found in Gloucestershire where the first on record was William Kynsei, who was recorded in the "Inquisitiones post mortem" for Gloucestershire in 1306. 1

Another source notes the family could have originated in Yorkshire, specifically at Kilnsea (Kilnsay, Kilnsey), a parish in the East Riding or at Kilnsay, a hamlet in the parish of Burnsall, in the West Riding. 2

Other early records show William Kynnesay in 1471, as vicar of Hitcham, County Norfolk. 3 The Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1525 include George Kynsey and Margaret Kynsee was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Stratford, 1584. 1

John de Kemesie was found in the Pipe Rolls for Sussex in 1206 and John de Kemeseye was listed in Huntingdonshire in 1207. 1

William Chinseie (or Kinssee), from Cheshire was registered at Oxford University in 1586 as was John Kynsey of Cheshire in 1602. 2

Early History of the Kinsey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kinsey research. Another 54 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1595, 1619, 1648, 1788, 1797, 1805, 1809, 1812, 1813, 1819, 1827, 1830, 1850, 1851, 1855, 1856, 1864, 1870, 1875, 1876, 1878 and 1892 are included under the topic Early Kinsey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kinsey Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Kinsey family name include Kinsey, Kynsei, Kynsey, Kinzie, Kincey, Kingsley and others.

Early Notables of the Kinsey family

Distinguished members of the family include

William Morgan Kinsey (1788-1851), was a Welsh divine and traveller, born in 1788 at Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, the son of Robert Morgan Kinsey, solicitor and banker at Abergavenny, and Caroline Hann...

Kinsey Ranking

In the United States, the name Kinsey is the 2,092^nd most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 4

Kinsey migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Kinsey surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Kinsey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Edward Kinsey, who landed in Virginia in 1637 5
Welch Kinsey, who arrived in Maryland in 1653 5
Hugh Kinsey, who landed in Maryland in 1659 5
Paul Kinsey, who landed in Maryland in 1661 5
Sarah Kinsey, who arrived in Maryland in 1662 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Kinsey Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Christian Kinsey, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1761 5

Kinsey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

C W Kinsey, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 5
Thomas Kinsey, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1874 5
Samuel Kinsey, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1876 5

Kinsey migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Kinsey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Kinsey, (Mckenzie), (b. 1777), aged 30, Irish labourer who was convicted in Sligo, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Duke of Portland" in January 1807, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. John Kinsey, (b. 1783), aged 24, Irish shoe maker who was convicted in Sligo, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Duke of Portland" in January 1807, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. John Kinsey, British convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Competitor"18th March 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
Mr. John Kinsey who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "England"on 31st March 1832, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
David Kinsey, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Delhi" in 1839 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Kinsey (post 1700) +

Alfred Charles Kinsey (1894-1956), American biologist and zoologist from Hoboken, New Jersey, who studied human sexuality, creator of Kinsey Reports, the Kinsey scale and founder of the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction
Robert Kinsey (1897-1964), American male tennis player who won the U.S. National Championship men's doubles championship in 1924
Daniel Chapin "Dan" Kinsey (1902-1970), American gold medalist hurdler at the 1924 Summer Olympics
Donald Kinsey (b. 1953), American musician, best known as a member of the Wailers Band, the reggae backing group for Bob Marley and the Wailers
Darius Kinsey (1869-1945), American photographer, active in western Washington State from 1890 to 1940
Angela Faye Kinsey (b. 1971), American actress, best known for her role as Angela Martin in the NBC television series The Office
Howard Kinsey (1899-1966), American tennis player of the 1920s, he won a number of championships
Tarence Kinsey (b. 1984), American basketball player
Cyril Anthony "Tony" Kinsey (1927-2025), English jazz drummer and composer who recorded on more than 80 sessions between 1950 and 1977
John Kinsey (1693-1750), American jurist from New Jersey, Chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Kinsey family +

HMS Repulse

Mr. William R Kinsey, British Ordinary Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 10

Senghenydd colliery

Mr. Thomas Kinsey (b. 1888), Welsh coal miner from Caerphilly, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died 11

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
"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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duke-of-portland
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/competitor
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) DELHI 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Delhi.htm
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Universal Colliery Senghenydd 1913 disaster retrieved 21st September 2019, retrieved from http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/deathrolls/SenghenyddDead1913.htm