Surname Kingstone - Meaning and Origin

Kingstone: What does the surname Kingstone mean?

The surname Kingstone is of English origin and it is a habitational name. It is derived from any of various places named with Old English elements "cyning" meaning ‘king’ and "stan" meaning ‘stone’. These places included the region of Kingston upon Thames in Greater London, Kingston Bagpuize in Oxfordshire, Kingston Lisle in Berkshire, and Kington in Herefordshire. The surname could denote someone who lived in or was from these places. It could also symbolize a person who worked or held a significant position in a king's estate ("King's town"). As with most surnames, the interpretation varies, and it may be related to geographical, occupational, or personal characteristics. The surname Kingstone first appeared on record in the 11th century, making it one of the older surnames in history.

Kingstone: Where does the name Kingstone come from?

The surname Kingstone is of English origin and is derived from numerous places named with the Old English pre 7th Century elements "cyning" which translates to king, and "tun," meaning settlement or enclosure; thus, "king's settlement" or "king's town." It was initially given to someone who lived in or was from such a location. During the medieval period, it gradually became customary to adopt the village name as a surname.

Several locations in England hold the name Kingstone, such as in Somerset, Herefordshire, and Warwickshire. Typically, surnames were added to distinguish people by their geographic origin, profession, father's first name, or other characteristics, leading to varied surname spellings among descendants.

Today, the surname Kingstone, albeit quite rare, is predominantly found in England, Australia, the United States, Canada, and Scotland. Despite the differences in spelling, it shares the same origins with the more prevalent surname Kingston. Surname distribution data reveals that the Kingstone surname is most dense in Herefordshire followed by Devon in England. In terms of frequency, the surname is most common in England followed by Australia.

Variations of the surname Kingstone

The surname "Kingstone" has many variants that have developed over time due to differences in cultures, languages and even simple recording errors. These variants can range from visual and auditory similarities to phonetic spellings or transliterations. Some of these variants include Kingston, Kingstown, Kingson, Kingstun and Kingstoun.

The surname also has some derivations from similar roots or origins. Some of the surnames that share these roots include Kingsland, Kingsley, Kinglake, and Kingsmill.

Every so often, the surname Kingstone has been hyphenated or combined with other names, creating composites like Kingstone-Smith or Kingstone-Jones.

Moreover, there are also some foreign translations of the name, which could be seen as variants. For example, in Dutch, it can be "Koningsteen" and in French, it could be "Roidelapierre."

In summary, the surname Kingstone has many alternative spellings, variants, derivations and translations stemming from a variety of influences such as regional dialects, cultural differences and phonetic transliterations.

Famous people with the name Kingstone

• Geraint Kingstone: Former Welsh international rugby player
• Anne Kingstone: Canadian soprano singer
• Amber Kingstone: Canadian radio personality and host
• John Kingstone: British astronomer and Fellow of the Royal Society
• Laura Kingstone: British singer and songwriter
• Josh Kingstone: American actor and producer
• Peter Kingstone: Canadian Pop/Rock vocalist and songwriter
• Stephen Kingstone: Canadian sports-talk radio host
• Caroline Kingstone: Australian artist, illustrator, and graphic designer
• Nick Kingstone: Canadian professional snowboarder

Other surnames

Kingston