Kingsley Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Kingsley last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Kingsley last name
Meaning of the Kingsley last name: king's clearing. Kingsley is an English surname from Kingsley in Cheshire and Hampshire, from Old English cyning, "king", and leah, "clearing", the king's wood. Charles Kingsley wrote The Water-Babies, and the last name later became a first name. Ben Kingsley, the actor, adopted it professionally.
Arms associated with the Kingsley name
Coats of arms associated with the Kingsley last name belong to the English heraldic tradition, each with its own blazon.
Get your full Kingsley family history
This is only a glimpse of the Kingsley story. The full Kingsley history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Kingsley coat of arms. Get the full Kingsley report.
Kingsley name FAQ
What does the Kingsley name mean?
king's clearing. Common variants include Kinsley, Kingsly.
Where does the Kingsley surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in Australia, Canada and the United States.
Is there a Kingsley coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Kingsley coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).