Kenny Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Kenny Family History

Kenny Family History

The ancient origin of the name Kenny was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. The majority of the Kennys are located in Counties Galway and Roscommon. This was the homeland in early times, as well as today, of the O'Kenny Sept which in Irish is O'Cionnaoith. They were of the Gaelic Ui Maine and of the same stock as the O'Maddens. Another Sept of the same name was in early times in County Tyrone, but there is little trace of it left there now. When Kennys are found of long standing in County Down, they are probably of the minor Ulster Sept of O'Coinne. Kenney is usually merely a variant spelling of Kenny, but it is also the name of some English immigrant families. Many of the leading families of the name in the Hy Many country, to which the O'Kenny Sept belongs, are in fact of immigrant origin, having arrived there centuries ago.The Kenny family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Kenny descendants.