Surname Origin

The Kennedy Surname


Meaning
descendant of the helmeted head
Type
Descriptive (nickname)
Root
Irish Ó Cinnéidigh
Chiefly
Tipperary and Clare

From ceann, head, and éidigh — usually read as ‘helmeted’, sometimes as ‘ugly’. Both readings are current and we will not pretend the flattering one is settled.

The sept originated in Tipperary and the name spread widely with emigration.

Bestow the name a title it never had

An honorific Lord or Lady certificate in the Kennedy name, hand-finished and sealed, with a square metre of Scottish woodland dedicated alongside it. A novelty, magnificently done — and a good deal more fun than a family tree.

Choose a Package The Peerage Chart