This unusual name is thought to be of ancient British/Welsh origin. It is a locational surname deriving from the place called Kenyon in the parish of Winwick, near Warrington, Lancashire, recorded in the Book of Fees for the county of 1212 as "Kenien", and in 1276 as "Kynian". The placename has an uncertain etymology, but is thought to derive from a British/Old Welsh name, "cruc Enion", Enion's mound, the name being later mistaken for "cruc Cenion". The personal name is cognate with the popular Welsh name "Einion", in Middle Welsh "Enniawn", which means "Anvil".
This etymology is supported by the fact that there was formerly an ancient burial mound there, dating from the Bronze Age. The modern surname can be found as Kenyon, Kenion and Kennion, and early examples include Jordan Kenyon (1260, Lancashire), and Nicholas Kynion (1288, Cheshire). One Jacobus Kenyon is recorded as a shoemaker in the Preston Guild Rolls of 1562. A Coat of Arms granted to a Kenyon family depicts a silver cross lozengy on a black shield, over all a bend gobonated gold and red. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert de Kenien, which was dated 1212, in the "Book of Fees of Lancashire", during the reign of King John, known as "Lackland", 1199 - 1216. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
Discovering the historical roots of kenion is deeply interesting, as it takes us back to the ancestors and relatives who established this lineage. The origin, the coat of arms or the different heraldic shields, and the bibliography in which the surname kenion is mentioned are part of this exciting investigation. Adhering to what we know about the way surnames originated, it is possible to offer a realistic explanation of the origins of kenion.
Although surnames have a specific origin at a certain time and region of the planet, many of them have spread far and wide across the world for various reasons, as is the case with the surname kenion. The list of countries with a higher presence of people with the surname kenion provides us with a perspective on the history of the surname, beyond its origins, focusing on its migrations.
The historical chronicle of kenion is based on a striking series of events that were led by those who have carried this surname throughout history. For those like you, who are interested in the history hidden behind the surname kenion, it is essential to find all kinds of information, both direct and tangential, that helps to construct a solid narrative of how the birth and expansion of kenion developed. In the following lines, you will find everything we have been able to gather about the surname kenion.
We suggest that if you want to learn more about the surname kenion, try to locate it through the bibliographic sources we suggest. We keep our website updated through our own research and also thanks to contributions from people like you, after verification; so if you have information about kenion and send it to us, we will update it on this website.
It's more than likely that there have been some distinguished kenions throughout human history. Sadly, not all the contributions of those who bore the surname kenion were recorded by the chroniclers of the time. If you or someone you know bears the surname kenion, you could potentially build illustrious lineages through your efforts and virtues. It is our desire to highlight in this section those individuals with the surname kenion who, for various reasons, have left their mark on the course of history.
Thanks to a significant bibliographic review, we have so far compiled information on the heraldry, history, and genealogy of kenion. The origin, history, coat of arms or different coats of arms, and the heraldry of kenion are recorded in a wide variety of sources and documents that are essential to know for better compilation. Accessing the archives of the town or towns where your ancestors were born and lived is, of course, a good way to trace the origins of kenion.
These sources are essential for initiating the understanding of kenion, and at the same time, of surnames in general.