Kennedy (surname)

Kennedy
Pronunciation/ˈkɛnɪdi/
LanguageIrish
Origin
MeaningDerived either from Ó Cinnéide meaning grandson of Cinnédidh, or "ceann" and "éidigh". "Ceann" comes from the Irish word meaning "chieftain" (a leader of a clan or tribe), and "éidigh" comes from the Irish word meaning "helmet". The name can be translated to mean "helmeted chief or leader".
Region of originIreland
Other names
Related namesO'Kennedy and Kennedie

Kennedy, with variant forms O'Kennedy and Kennedie, is a surname and a given name of Irish and Scottish origins.[1]

Origins

There have been several etymologies given for the surname. One is that the name is an Anglicisation of Ó Cinnéide, which means "grandson of Cinnédidh" or "grandson of Cinnéidigh". Both of these personal names are derived from Irish words meaning "helmet-headed".[2] Ceanéidigh could be related to the old Irish name Cennétig, which is known from Cennétig mac Lorcáin, the father of the Irish high king Brian mac Cennétig, who was also known as Brian Bóruma or Brian Boru. There is an Irish Kennedy family and a Scottish Kennedy clan in Carrick, Ayrshire, which are unrelated to one another.

Another possibility is that Kennedy is an Anglicisation of the Irish Ó Ceannéidigh, meaning "grandson of Ceannéidigh". Ceannéidigh is a given name derived from the Irish word ceann, meaning "head", and éidigh, meaning "ugly" or "fierce".[3] Some etymologies also suggest that the element ceann could mean "chief" or "leader".[4]

Name lists

In arts and entertainment

In politics and government

Members of the American Kennedy political family

Main article: Kennedy family

Other Kennedys involved in politics

In sports

In other fields

See also

References

  1. ^ Harrison, Henry; Harrison, Gyda (1996). Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary. Genealogical Publishing Com. p. 246. ISBN 0-8063-0171-6.
  2. ^ Neafsey, Edward (2002). The Surnames of Ireland: Origins and Numbers of Selected Irish Surnames. Irish Roots Cafe. p. 117. ISBN 0-940134-97-7.
  3. ^ "Kennedy Name Meaning and History". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 6 January 2009.
  4. ^ Harrison, Henry; Harrison, Gyda (1996). Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary. Genealogical Publishing Com. p. 246. ISBN 0-8063-0171-6.
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