Patronymica Cornu-Britannica/K

by Richard Stephen Charnock

 

K.

 

KALINKISS. From gilly-kûs, the wood or grove of hazels.

KALYNACK. See Kelynack.

KANDLE. Perhaps the same name as Kendall, q. v.

KARKEEK. See Cargeege.

KARN. See Carne.

KARRAMORE. From car-veor, the great rock.

KARROW. See Carew.

KASTELL. See Kestle.

KAYMERLLMARTH. This name is mentioned by C. S. Gilbert as a surname, temp. Eliz., in a "list of the members who have served in parliament for Bossiney since the time of Edw. VI." It may be from chy-marl-marth, the wonderful or high dwelling of marl; or the same as the local name Kilmar, Kilmarh, Kilmarth, which Pryce renders, "the great, the horse, or the wonderful grove."

KEAM. From cheim, the ridge of a hill; a promontory.

KEARNZEW. See Carnsew.

KEAST. See Gist.

KEAT, KEATE, KEED, KEET. Hals says keate, ceate, signifies in British fallacy, cheat, or delusion; but these names, as well as Keyte, Kite, are more probably from cot (W. cwt), a cot, sty; or from root of Coode, q. v.

KEEVIL. Kivell.

KEGERTHEN. From ke-gerthen, the quickset hedge.

KEIR. When a Cornish name, from car, a rock.

KEGWIN, KEIGWIDDEN, KEIGWIDN, KEIGWIN, KEIGWYN, KEIWIDDEN. See Chegwidden.

KELLAN. This name may be from ke-lan, the church or place enclosed with a hedge. See also Kelland.

KELLAND. From Kelland in Trigg hundred, perhaps etymologically connected with Helland; or the same name as Kellan, q. v. Kil is a neck or promontory, and kelin a holly-tree.

KELLEY. See Kelly.

KELLIGREW. See Killigrew.

KELLY, KELLEY. As Cornish names, from kelly, kelli, the grove.

KELLIO, KELLIOW, KELLYOW. Most probably the same name and family; from Kelliow, in Cornelly; from killiow, the groves.

KELLOCK. From killy-oke, the oak grove; or killy-ock, the grove place.

KELLOW. From Kellow in Lansalloes; from killiow, the groves.

KELLYOW. See Kellio.

KELSEY. From Kilsey or Kelsey in Cubert; from kil-zeh, the dry neck of land. Kelsey is however the appellation of two parishes co. Lincoln.

KELYNACK, KALYNACK. From kelynn-eck, a place where holly-trees grow (kelin, a holly-tree). This name is rendered famous by Mary Kalynack, who, at the age of 84, walked from the Land's End to London to see the Great Exhibition, and to pay her respects personally to the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress. But see Killignock.

KEMBER. See Kimber.

KEMELL. See Kymyell.

KENDALL. The general opinion seems to be that this family is of different origin from that of the Kendalls of Westmoreland, whose name is derived from Kirby-in-Kendale, i. e. the church dwelling (kirk-by) in Kent-dale. Hals says, "Kendall signifies to see or behold the dale or valley; otherwise Kendall or Cendall is fine linen; and Cendale may be a corruption of Pendall, i. e. the head of the valley." The name may mean the house in the valley (chy'n-dôl), or the neck of the dale (conna-dôl). Hence perhaps Kendal and Kendle.

KERAKOSSE. From car-kûs, the rocky wood.

KERGECK, KERGEEK. See Cargeege.

KERKIN. From car-gwyn, the white rock.

KERNICK. From Kernick in St. Stephen's, or Kernick in Helland; from carnick, rocky; or carn-ick, the rocky place.

KERNOW. See Curnoe.

KERWAN. From car-ban, the high rock, or the rocky hill; or car-vean, the little rock or castle.

KESKEYES. From chy-skêz, the house in the shady place. Pryce renders Skewys in Cury "the shady place."

KESTAL, KESTEL, KESTELL, KESTLE. From Kestle in Ladock, or Kestle Wartha in Manaccan; said to have been named from a British camp or fortification formerly upon the lands, or near the sea-coast; from kastal, kestell, a fort or castle. The arms of this family are Argent, three falcons Proper; also Or, three castles turreted, Gules. There are other places in Cornwall with the adjunct Kestell, and the surnames Kastell and Kistle are etymologically the same name.

KEVEAR. From ke-veor, the great hedge; or kea-veor, the great enclosure.

KEVEREL. From keverel, cheverel, a kid or little goat. Scawen translates Keverel, "a he-goat or he-goats, that creature taking most delight, as it is observed, in the cliffs thereabout."

KEVERN, KEVERNE. Hals says of the local name St. Keverne, "as for the modern name, whether it be derived from the Sax. geferon, geforan, geuoran, synonymous words, signifying a fraternity, seers, equals, fellows, inspectors, with reference to the six, eight, or twelve men of this parish who, as body politic, corporation, or fraternity, govern the same in joint or equal manner; or from the Brit. keveren, a schism, separation, or division in church matters or religion (see Lluyd upon Schisma); or from Kieran, a famous bishop among the Britons about the fifth century, who perhaps was born in this place, and is the tutelar guardian and patron of this church; and to him also is dedicated St. Kieran rectory, in decanatu Christianitatis in Exeter; of which every man may think as he please"! There was, it seems, a St. Keven, Kevern, or Keverne. The name however may be from ke-voran, -voren, the foreigner's hedge or enclosure. Hence the name Kivern.

KEYMER. From root of Kyvere, q. v.

KEYTE. Keat.

KILGAT. See Killigarth.

KILLEGREW. See Killigrew.

KILLICK. From killy-ick, the grove place.

KILLIGARTH (by corruption KILGAT). From an estate in Talland, which was in possession of the family up to the time of Henry VI.; from kelli-arth, the high grove. The last part of the name may also be from garz, a hedge.

KILLIGNOCK (De). From Killignock (found Checkenock) in St. Wenn, "where this family flourished in good fame for many generations till temp. Hen. VIII." This name may be from kelli-cnoc, the hill in the grove. Kelednack, kalonk, is valiant, stout; kalonek, hearty; colannak, courageous, stout, hearty; from colon, the heart. But see Kelynack.

KILLIGREW, KILLIGREWE, KILLYGREW, KILLEGREW, KELLIGREW (in charters CHELIGREVUS). From a manor in the parish of St. Erme, where this celebrated family resided from an early date down to the reign of Rich. II.; from kelli-grew, the crane's grove (Pryce says eagle's grove). The arms of the family are a spread eagle.

KILTER. A family that may have given name to Kilters in Kea. D. Gilbert mentions Kilter in St. Keverne as the birthplace of, and as probably belonging to, the Kilter family. The name may come from kil-dour, the neck of land or promontory by the water.

KILVERT. From killy-verth, the whitethorn grove.

KILWARBY. From kil-war-vy, the grove upon (i. e. by) the water. There was a Robert Kilwarby, archbishop of Canterbury, temp. Wm. I.

KIMBER, KYMBER (KEMBER?). From South Kimber; from kûm-ber, the little valley, defile, or pass. Kûm-ver would mean the great valley.

KINGDON (KINGDOM?). A family which has flourished in Cornwall and Devon for some centuries. The name would appear to have been borrowed from Kingdon, an estate near Sharrow, in the former county. (Lower.) Doubtless the same name as Congdon, q. v.

KISTLE. See Kestle.

KITE. See Keat.

KITTO, KITTOW. Cornish forms of Kit, for Christopher.

KIVELL, CHIVELL, CHIVEL. From kevel, a horse. Keevil, Caval, and Cavall would seem to be the same name. Cf. Nankivel and Penkevil.

KIVERN. See Kevern.

KNAVA or NAVA. Hals gives the British words nave, nava, nawe, knawe, and he seems to think the name may have meant "a servant, steward, ambassador, minister, or messenger of God, Christ, his king, prince, or other master," and he says, "it is a name of office of one that is a substitute or viceregent, and acts under another." Cf. the A. S. cnapa, cnafa (Plat. D. knaap, G. knabe), a boy, young man. "John Knava, of Godolphin, Esq., was struck sheriff of Cornwall by Hen. VII. in 1504." (Hals.)

KNIVER. From kein-veor, the great ridge or promontory (kein for cheim).

KNIVET, KNYVETT. Found written Knyvet, De Knyvet, Knivat, Knevett, De Knevet. Ferguson considers the name Knevett a diminutive of Cniva, an early Gothic name. Camden, with more reason, thinks Knyvett a corruption of Dunevit (Dunheved). Borlase is of opinion that the ancient Cornish local name Dunheved (near Launceston) is a Saxon compound, signifying "the head of the hill." According to Baxter, Dunevet is the same as Nemetotacium (properly, as in Ravennas, Nemetomagum), in which Br. Willis agrees, Nemet is Cornish being pronounced Nevet, and dun substituted for magus, for pagus, a town or village; further that dun-huedh signifies in Cornish "the swelling hill," but dun-hedh "the long hill;" from which latter circumstance he imagines it was called Lanceestre and Lancestre-town.

KUMPE. See Gumb.

KYMBER. See Kimber.

KYMYEL. From a place in the parish of Paul, anciently the residence of the family. See Kymyell.

KYMYELL or KEMELL. From Kymyell in St. Buryan; from kûm-yuhal, the high valley; or kûm-youl, the devil's valley. Kûm-mêl, -meal would signify the vale of honey. Kymyel is probably the same name.

KYVERE. From chy-veor, the great house.