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Kenneth Family History

Kenneth Name Meaning

Scottish: now considered in Scotland as the Gaelic equivalent of the personal name Coinneach the name of an Irish saint generally Anglicized in Ireland as Canice. However Kenneth was originally the Anglicized form of Gaelic Cionaodh (see McKinney ) a personal name ultimately of Pictish origin. Etymologically this surname is equivalent to Kenny (which can arise from either personal name) and McKenzie (which is from Coinneach).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Kennedy, Bennett, Kennett, Keinath, Jenner, Jennett, Dennett, Kinner

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Kenneth family from?

You can see how Kenneth families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kenneth family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Kenneth families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there was 1 Kenneth family living in Pennsylvania. This was about 50% of all the recorded Kenneth's in USA. Pennsylvania and 1 other state had the highest population of Kenneth families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kenneth surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Kenneth ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Kenneth. 19% of Kenneth men worked as a Laborer and 11% of Kenneth women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kenneth were Clerk and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Kenneth | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    19%
  • Farmer
    13%
  • Salesman
    7%
  • Clerk
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    11%
  • Housewife
    11%
  • Secretary
    9%
  • Housekeeper
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Kenneth family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 16,000 census records available for the last name Kenneth. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kenneth census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Kenneth

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Kenneth. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Kenneth immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 8,000 military records available for the last name Kenneth. For the veterans among your Kenneth ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Kenneth family history

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What is the average Kenneth lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Kenneth life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 1963. The average life expectancy for Kenneth in 1954 was 40, and 83 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kenneth

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