Location: England, United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Wales, Scotland, South Africa, Isle of Man, Jamaica

Surnames/tags: Kenyon Kinyon Kinion


![]() |
Goal of the Project
The goal of this study is to collect, analyze, hypothesize, and draw inferences and conclusions from information and data. The focus is to advance the study forward. Researchers like you, with an interest or connection to the surname are welcome to join and contribute in any way you can.
About the Project
The Kenyon Name Study project serves as a collaborative platform to collect information on the Kenyon name. The hope is that other researchers like you will join the study to help make it a valuable reference point for other genealogists who are researching or have an interest in the Kenyon name.
As a One Name Study, this project is not limited to persons who are related biologically. Individual studies can be used to branch out the research into specific methods and areas of interest, such as geographically (England Kenyon's), by time period (18th Century Kenyon's), or by topic (Kenyon DNA, Kenyon Occupations, Kenyon Statistics). These studies may also include a number of family branches which have no immediate link with each other. Some researchers may even be motivated to go beyond the profile identification and research stage to compile fully sourced, single-family histories of some of the families they discover through this name study project.
Introduction
According to WikiTree, "The objective of a one-name study is not just the collection of data and names but also the reconstruction of family trees." Lineage research has always been the primary way to study various lines of a given surname. With recent advances in DNA, especially Y-DNA , documented lineages can be looked at in fresh new ways. When documentation runs out, Y-DNA provides evidence of paternal relationship going further back in tiime. For example, there are numerous records in the 1800's, less so in the 1700's, becoming sparce in the 1600's and almost nonexistent in the 1500's and earler. Yet, Y-DNA results continue to show a paternal relationship going back even earlier to when surnames were first adopted following the Norman Conquest in 1066. [1]
The work at the Kenyon Project, at Family Tree DNA led to new discoveries based on Y-DNA results. It was assumed that one Kenyon line existed in England, but new findings show there are at least two main lineages which coexisted in Lancashire, England but unrelated within a genealogically relevant time period. The first line, from the first known holder of the surname, is Jordan de Kenyon of Kenyon (1235–1297). The second line dates back to around the same period, circa 1220 CE. This second line is also responsible for the branches to Rhode Island, North Carolina, and at least one Liverpool branch.
There are two working hypotheses about these two lineages. The first, the two lines are completely unrelated. The second, there was a very early not the paternity expected (NPE) in the line.
There are other Kenyon lines in England, unrelated to the foregoing two main lineages. Additional testing helps in the discovery of new branches, refinement in dating, and location. While some questions have been answered, new ones arise regarding migration pathways within England, and when, where, and specifically who were the emigrant ancestors who migrated to other countries. There is a curious starburst of branching seen on the Block Tree that appears to have occurred sometime in the 1500s, perhaps earlier. It is seen in other Y-DNA surname projects, as well. It isn't known what factor(s) accounts for it. James Irwin spoke about it in his presentation, Lessons Learnt From a Large Surname Project, at the 15th International Conference on Genetic Genealogy. He showed an example of one. He posed the question as to what happened to account for this. He thinks the plague may have been the reason. I have wondered whether an increase in mobility could account for it, with people moving to different parts of England. There may have been more than one factor in this time period. It is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. It cannot be looked at in isolation but more broadly looking at the the context for when and where your surname lived. Each new piece of information makes the picture clearer.
For information about the Kenyon Project at Family Tree DNA: [2]
Meaning of the Name
The Kenyon name is locative derived from a place or specifically where someone lived. Kenyon is village, in Warrington, Cheshire, England. Historically, Kenyon was a village, part of Lowton. It was part of the land holdings of William de Lawton. William granted to his son Jorden, "the whole of the vill of Kenyon."[3] Jorden de Kenyon lived to about 1297. The name Kenyon was handed down to his successive generations. While it is unknown how the surname arose with different lineages, it is speculated that location likely played a role as well.
Specifically, in England, surnames were first introduced by the Normans after 1066. By 1250 most families owning land had surnames. By 1450 most families had surnames but the south adoped them earlier than the north Debbie Kennett presentation at RootsTech. The timing of surnames in England is consistent with Y-DNA matches to a common ancestor in England around 1250.
Notable Kenyons
Name | Dates | Country | Significance | ||
Lloyd Kenyon | 1732–1802 | English | 1st Baron, Chief Justice | ||
William Scheuneman Kenyon | 1820–1896 | American | Member of U.S. Congress | ||
John Kenyon, Esquire | 1784-1856 | Jamaican/English | Philanthropist | ||
William Kenyon | 1667-1730 | English | Clockmaker of Liverpool | ||
Edward Kenyon | 1819-1908 | Isle of Man | Master Mariner | ||
Marquis L Kenyon | 1817-1862 | American | Member of The NY State Legislature | ||
John Kenyon | 1833-1924 | New Zealand | 1855 Immigrant | ||
John Joseph Kenyon | 1862-1937 | Canadian | Aritist and Photographer | ||
Alfred Stephen Kenyon | 1867-1943 | Australian | Civil engineer and Polymath | ||
Frederick Courtland Kenyon | 1867-1941 | American | Zoologist and Anatomist | ||
Edward Kennion | 1744-1809 | English | Landscape Artist | ||
William Squire Kenyon | 1869-1933 | American | United States Senator | ||
James Kenyon | 1850-1925 | British | Pioneer of Cinematography | ||
Frederick Roland Kenyon | 1871-1912 | American | Titanic Passenger and Victim | ||
James H Kenyon | 1875-1935 | Canadian | Sharpshooter, 1912 Summer Olympics | ||
Doris Margaret Kenyon | 1897-1979 | American | Actress | ||
Kathleen Kenyon | 1906–1978 | British | Archealogist, excavated Jericho | ||
Henry Russell Kenyon, Jr | 1916- 1942 | American | USS Henry R. Kenyon named in his honor | ||
James Harold Kenyon | 1841-1891 | British | Pioneer Funeral Profession | ||
Samuel P Kenyon | 1845-1884 | American | Congressional Medal of Honor | ||
Name Distribution
Mapping Surname Globally
![]() |
Kenyon Surname Globally |
Color coding shows the areas of density of the Kenyon surname globally in 2022.
Top countries include:
- 1. United Kingdom
- 2. Australia
- 3. New Zealand
- 4. United States
- 5. Canada
![]() |
Kenyon Regions |
Top regions include:
- 1. North West United Kingdom
- 2. Rhode Island, United States
- 3. Marlbourogh, New Zealand
- 4. Vermont, United States
- 5. Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo, Guyana
Mapping Surname Variants
![]() |
Mapping Kinyon |
The spelling variant Kinyon appears to be something that is in the United States, not in other parts of the world.
The spelling variant Kinion also appears to be something that is seen in the United States. There are a small number in Indionesia.
The spelling variant Kenion is seen in the United States and the United Kingdom. In the United States it is seen in North Carolina and secondarily, Kentucky. In the United Kingdom, it is seen in the West Midlands.
Kinyoun variant is seen in the United States. There are a small number of this variant, suggesting the the variant occurred fairly recently.
Another spelling variant, Kynion, is seen in the United States in Kansas, Missouri, Illinois. We are not currently including this variant in the study. The Keenan Project at FTDNA includes this spelling as part of their project. This project goes back to an Irish ancestor. Perhaps this spelling would fit better there. There hasn't been any lineage record to link it with Kenyon lineage. However, if a DNA test shows that it is related to Kenyon that would change.
Name Distribution Worldwide
Place | Incidence | Frequency |
Worldwide[1] | ||
United States | 17,638 | 1:20,550 |
England | 8,717 | 1: 6,393 |
Australia | 2,470 | 1:10,929 |
Canada | 1,450 | 1:25,411 |
New Zealand | 383 | 1:11,823 |
Wales | 241 | 1:12,840 |
Scotland | 232 | 1:23,077 |
South Africa | 184 | 1:294,444 |
Jamaica | 142 | 1:20,211 |
Isle of Man | 81 | 1:1,060 |
Data from Forebears, 2 Oct 2023 [5]
Name Distribution in United States in 1980
Rank | Surname | Count | Percentage | 1980 Estimate |
1 | Kenyon | 2,344 | ~83% | 13,400 |
2 | Kinyon | 275 | ~10 | 1580 |
3 | Kinion | 109 | ~4 | 625 |
4 | Kenion | 63 | ~2 | 361 |
5 | Kinyoun | 25 | >1 | 143 |
- Richard R. Kenyon, PhD compiled and analyzed data from the Social Security Death Index to get an estimate of name frequency and make inferences of the number of Kenyons and various name spellings, in the United States in 1980. Additional spellings not included on the table included Kynion (11), Kenyan (4), Kinyan (1), and Kenyow (1). From the data, Richard estimated the number of living Kenyons plus variant spellings in 1980 was about 16,000.
How to Join
To join the Kenyon Name Study, first start out by browsing our current research pages to see if there is a specific study ongoing that fits your interests. If so, feel free to add your name to the Membership list below, post an introduction comment on the specific team page, and then dive right in!
If a research page does not yet exist for your particular area of interest, please contact the Name Study Coordinator: Marilyn Kenyon PsyD for assistance.
Once you are ready to go, you can also show your project affiliation with the ONS Member Sticker:
Membership
- Marilyn Kenyon Team Leader started the Kenyon Name Study in 2023. Her main area of concentration is defining the various Kenyon lines, utilizing Y-DNA. Additionally, understanding the timeline of when the lineage branched off to Liverpool, Rhode Island, and North Carolina. Also, understanding the migration pattern from England to Wales, Scotland, Isle of Man, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Jamaica.
- Richard Reid Kenyon Richard is a well-known Kenyon researcher. He has studied the surname, creating numerous descendant lists of lineages in the United States and elsewhere. He was the founding surname administrator for the Kenyon Project, Family Tree DNA in 2005.
- Heather Slania, a Baltimore-based librarian, is a newcomer to genealogical research. She traces her lineage to Rachel Kenyon and Keturah Kenyon, her 3rd and 6th great-grandmothers, respectively, both of whom are direct descendants of John Kenyon (b. ~1657). Heather is the custodian of Keturah’s family bible and Byron Herrington’s book, resources she has been meticulously documenting on WikiTree. One of her life's ambitions is to comprehensively trace the lineage of all John Kenyon (b. 1706)'s descendants. She is particularly eager for insights into the Kenyons' English origins, a historical puzzle she hopes will soon be solved through this ONS.
Areas of Research
Y-DNA, Dating, and Migration
Results from Y-DNA testing at Family Tree DNA provided information on identifying Kenyon lineages by comparing STRs and downstream SNPs; estimated date of most distant (parent) ancestor; and estimated dates of branches.
Number | Lineage | Place | Haplogroup | Est. Date | |
1 | I Lineage I | Unsworth, England | Parent Haplogroup R-FGC33971 | 1300 CE | |
2 | II Lineage II | Accrington, England | Parent Haplogroup R-A1308 | 1200 CE | |
3 | IIa Lineage II | Lancashire branch | RFT383870 | 1450 CE | |
4 | IIb Lineage II | Liverpool branch | RFTA91130 | 1550 CE | |
5 | IIc Lineage II | Rhode Island branch | RA6342 | 1650 CE | |
6 | IId Lineage II | North Carolina branch | RFT151942 | 1750 CE |
- data retrieved on 8 Oct 2023 using Discover Tool and Block Tree at FTDNA. Dates and locations are estimates and subject to change with additional test results.
![]() |
FTDNA Big Y Block Tree (Click to enlarge) |
This is an image of the the Block Tree from Family Tree DNA for English Kenyon, Line II. At the top at R-A1308 is the common ancestor dated about 1200 CE, around the time surnames were first used in England. On the left, at R-A6342 is the Rhode Island Branch, R-FTA91130 is the Liverpool Branch, which came to America, R-FT383870 is a branch that remains in England, and R-FT151941 is the North Carolina Branch.
Both English lineages migrated to other parts of the world. Y-DNA testing helps to distingish which Kenyon line, I or II, or other. Lineage I, known in both Canada, and United States. Lineage II with numerous descendents from the Rhode Island, North Carolina, and Liverpool.
The date of immigration for the Rhode Island branch is not known, as a record of immigration has not been located. John Kenyon arrived in Rhode Island prior to 1650, as his son, John Kenyon, Jr. testified in 1717 that he was about 70 years old [6], which would give his estimated year of birth about 1647, born in Kingstown, Rhode Island. It is believed it was a second marriage for John Kenyon, Sr, based on early Torrey marriage records, which suggests he would have been born circa 1620 or earlier. In 1635, there was a Jo. (possibly abbreviated for John) Kenyon, born about 1614, England, who was on a ship to Virginia from a London port. In that time period, there were also ships docking in Boston, Massachusetts from London, England and other New England ports. It begs the question as to whether Jo. Kenyon could have been the John Kenyon, who went to Rhode Island. If he was on one ship to Virginia, what is the possibility he could have been on another ship to Boston or other New England port?
There isn't a clear record of immigration which has been definitively linked to the North Carolina Kenyon branch. It is thought that the branch came in through Virginia, via ships. There was a Geo. Kennyon, age 25, born 1610, and Jo. Kennyon, age 21, born about 1614, possible brothers, arriving in 1635, in Virginia, listed on the U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s. They were passengers on Thomas and John, imbarking on June 1635 from the Port of London. The record includes lists of ships to Bermuda, Barbados, and continental North America from Great Britain. [7] Mention was made about Geo. Kenyon and Jo. Kenyon in American Kenyons, page 44. The book says they were from Liverpool, the record shows they were in London, England. Unknown whether the Liverpool reference was an inadvertent error or whether there was information that supported this.
England Records
Military Service Records
Lancashire Parish Records
- St. Bartholomew . Lancashire, England: Parish Records
- St. James, Church, Hyndburn, Lancashire, England Parish Records
England 1841 Census
- Liverpool, Lancashire England Census Records
United States
New York
United Stated Federal Census Records
1820 New York Federal Census
- Kenyon Head of Households in New York State: by County
Military Service United States
American Revolutionary War Patriots
- Kenyon Patriots who served in the American Revolution: List of Patriots
War 1812 Veterans
- Kenyon individuals who served the War 1812: List of Veterans
Mexican American War
- Kenyon men who served in the Mexican American War: List of Kenyon men who served
Civil War
- Kenyon soldiers who served in the Civil War: List of Kenyon men who served
- Civil War Roll of Honor: Kenyon soldiers who died in defense of the American Union
- Civil War Prisoners of War (Union and Confederate): Kenyon soldiers who were prisoners
Spanish American War
- Kenyon men who served in the Spanish American War: List of volunteers
World War I
- Kenyon men who completed WWI Draft Registration: List of Men who Registered
British WWI Service Records
- British individuals who served in WWI List of individuals who served
- UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War: List of soldiers who died
World War II
- Kenyon individuals who completed WWII Draft Registration: List of Men who Registered
- Kenyon individuals who were prisoners of war UK and Allied Countries, World War Liberated Prisoner of War Questionnaires, 1945-1946
Current Profiles in Study
- High Level: Profiles
- England: Profiles with England Connection
- United States: Profiles with United States Connection
Orphan Profiles
- Kenyon: Orphan Profiles
- Kinyon: Orphan Profiles
- Kinion: Orphan Profiles
Resources
- Herrington, Byron M. Genealogy of the Family of Nathaniel Kenyon. Cambridge, NY, 1961. This is a compilation from one of the Rhode Island Kenyon branches. It is specific as to that branch.
- Kenyon, Howard N. American Kenyons. Rutland, VT: The Tuttle Company, 1935. This resource follows the Rhode Island Kenyons after they are settled in Rhode Island. One caveat, the author incorrectly identified the Immigrant ancestor, mistaking him for a John Kenyon who was born and died in England. This error has been repeated hundreds, if not thousands of times. The immigrant ancestor has not been identified to date, but work is ongoing. It is hard to unring the bell once it has been rung. There are other mistakes but by and large this is a useful text. [8]
- Kinion, Wayne Arthur. From Kenyons of England to Kinions of America. Chnhassen, MN: Wayne and Bonnie Kinion, 1999. This is a very useful text for one of the North Carolina branches. It offers educated speculation as to the immigrant ancestor.
- Webster, William H. History and genealogy of the Gov. John Webster family of Connecticut, with numerous portraits and illustrations. Rochester, NY: E. R. Andrews Print Company, 1915. page 606 [9] Information on Nathaniel Kenyon who married Polly Webster and their children.
Suggestions on How You can Help
- Add the category for Kenyon One Name Study to family members. Add this sticker to a profile. Place the sticker code anywhere in the biography above sources.This profile is part of the Kenyon Name Study.{{One Name Study|name=Kenyon}}
- If you are a male, consider getting a Y-DNA test. When you order a kit, join the Kenyon Project at Family TreeDNA. [10] That way your DNA will be compared with other Kenyon males in the project. If you are a female, get your brother, father, uncle or cousin to test. Not only will you learn something, each test furthers the understanding for others. You can still join the Kenyon Project with your autosomal DNA results. Sometimes a new discovery is made, such as a new SNP, or a new new branch! Yay!
- Improve biographies on existing Kenyon profiles.
- Look through the list of orphan profiles, consider adoping some of them.
- Collaborate with other Kenyons to share ideas.
Related Surnames and Surname Variants
- What is required to consider a person as notable? Mar 7, 2024.
- Login to edit this profile and add images.
- Private Messages: Contact the Profile Managers privately: Marilyn Kenyon and One Name Studies WikiTree. (Best when privacy is an issue.)
- Public Comments: Login to post. (Best for messages specifically directed to those editing this profile. Limit 20 per day.)
