The Kenyon One-Name Study in England
The surname "Kenyon" appears to have originated from the county
of Lancashire in England, particularly the Winwick Parish area where there is a
"Village of Kenyon" and a "Kenyon Manor"
Most "Kenyon" family groups around the country
emanate from
Lancashire and the Manor of Kenyon area as does that of the current "Lord Kenyon" whose family history
has been well documented from 1154. Consequently, much of the data about this surname
originates in the Lancashire area. However, the name spread worldwide during the late 18th and
19th Centuries,
and the data we have gathered reflects this migration.
See the spread of Kenyons in the Britain during the 1881
Census in "Kenyon 1881 Census
Map."
Proof of the actual origin for the surname is still a
mystery at
the moment. Ireland and the Isle of Man have been suggested,
but the Manor of Kenyon in Lancashire is the strongest
contender.
There are variant spellings of the name, books on origins of
surnames give the following
alternative derivation for one of them, KENNYON. Possibly
a modern form of the
ancient Irish name "MacConin".
This is one of the names taking -- or based on -- the first name
of the ancestor's father
(patronymic).
As might be expected, many descendants of the first Lord Kenyon feature strongly in
various reference books. There are other famous Kenyons though. Click on the name of a subject
in this paragraph to read their biography.
Stars of stage and screen, the Kenyon Actors and
Actresses.
The famous archeologist Dame Kathleen Mary Kenyon.
The cotton manufacturers James Kenyon & Son Limited of Bury,
Lancashire.
There is a theory that the name originates from Ireland, especially among the
Kenyon families living around the Machers peninsular and Stranraer
areas of Wigtownshire, Scotland. Although only a very few Irish immigrant families
bearing this name can be found, these roots are still being investigated.
The name "Kenyon" is used as a main heading in the I.G.I. A
number of possible variants such as KENYAN, KENYEN, KENNYON
are found in the I.G.I. although we will accept any similar names for investigation.
As an example, the name KENNON can be found in Merseyside and Tyneside,
this is believed to be of Irish origin.
These are the major sources for our work
- Full extraction from St. Catherine's House (Now the F.H.C.) of
Births, Marriages and Deaths from 1837 to 1900
- Full extract from the I.G.I. for all "Kenyon" Surnames
in the UK
- Full extract from all the published 1881 Census Surname
Indexes.
- Coverage of many published 1851 Census Indexes.
- Coverage of a large number of Parish Registers, particularly in
Lancashire
- Many Family Trees and correspondence from other Kenyon
families worldwide.
Further contacts may be made on the
Kenyon Genealogical Forum.
Press
for
Kenyon
Genealogical Forum
Please e-mail Rod Clayburn for further
details on
KENYON family information sharing in UK and EUROPE
