Kenny
Encyclopedia
Kenny is an Irish
family surname, an anglicisation of the Irish
Ó Cionnaith, sometimes spelled Ó Cionnaoith.
One bearer of the name was Cainnech of Aghaboe, better known in English as Saint Canice - a sixth century Irish priest and missionary, after whom the city and county of Kilkenny
is also named. The Irish form Cill Chainnigh means "church of Canice".
It is thought that the Ó Cionnaith sept was part of the Uí Maine kingdom, based in Connaught
. Within this area, the name is associated traditionally with counties Galway
and Roscommon
.
Kenny is ranked at number 76 in the list of the most common surnames in Ireland. Other spellings include O'Kenny, Kenney, Kennie, Kinnie and Kinny.
Kenny is most often used as a diminutive form of Kenneth
and Ken
but it's also used as a given name.
In Australia:
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
family surname, an anglicisation of the Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
Ó Cionnaith, sometimes spelled Ó Cionnaoith.
One bearer of the name was Cainnech of Aghaboe, better known in English as Saint Canice - a sixth century Irish priest and missionary, after whom the city and county of Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
is also named. The Irish form Cill Chainnigh means "church of Canice".
It is thought that the Ó Cionnaith sept was part of the Uí Maine kingdom, based in Connaught
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
. Within this area, the name is associated traditionally with counties Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
and Roscommon
Roscommon
Roscommon is the county town of County Roscommon in Ireland. Its population at the 2006 census stood at 5,017 . The town is located near the junctions of the N60, N61 and N63 roads.-History:...
.
Kenny is ranked at number 76 in the list of the most common surnames in Ireland. Other spellings include O'Kenny, Kenney, Kennie, Kinnie and Kinny.
Kenny is most often used as a diminutive form of Kenneth
Kenneth
-Origin:It is an anglicized form of either the Pictish name Ciniod or the Goidelic name Cináed, often thought to mean "fire-head" or "born of fire" , but ultimately derives from a shared prototype with Kennedy; Cunedagius, originally Cornish --after which was carried north to Valentia and borne by...
and Ken
Ken (name)
Ken is a masculine given name. It is used either as a given name or as a short form of names starting with "Ken"...
but it's also used as a given name.
Given name
- Cainnech of Aghaboe (Saint Kenny), also known as Saint Canice or Saint Kenneth
- Kenny AndersonKenny AndersonKenneth "Kenny" Anderson is a retired American basketball player. After a college career at Georgia Institute of Technology, he played point guard professionally from 1991 to 2006, mostly in the National Basketball Association....
, basketball player - Kenny BernsteinKenny BernsteinKenny Bernstein is an American drag racer and former NASCAR and IndyCar team owner. He is nicknamed the "Bud King" for his success in the Budweiser King dragster, he has also been nicknamed "The King of Speed," because he was the first driver to break 300 miles per hour in the standing-start...
, NHRA driver - Kenny BräckKenny BräckKenny Bräck is a race car driver from Sweden. Until his retirement from racing, he competed in the CART, Indy Racing League and the IROC series. He is the winner of the 1999 Indianapolis 500 and the 1998 driving champion of the Indy Racing League. He survived one of the racing sport's biggest...
, former IndyCar driver - Kenny ChesneyKenny ChesneyKenneth "Kenny" Arnold Chesney is an American country music singer and songwriter. Chesney has recorded 15 albums, 14 of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced more than 30 Top Ten singles on the U.S...
, American singer - Kenny ClarkeKenny ClarkeKenny Clarke , born Kenneth Spearman Clarke, nicknamed "Klook" and later known as Liaqat Ali Salaam, was a jazz drummer and an early innovator of the bebop style of drumming...
, jazz drummer - Kenny DalglishKenny DalglishKenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
, Scottish soccer player and manager - Kenny DelmarKenny DelmarKenneth Howard "Kenny" Delmar was an American actor active in radio, films, and animation.-Radio:...
, actor and voice artist - Kenny Dykstra, American professional wrestler
- Kenny EasterdayKenny EasterdayKenny Easterday is an American man born with a rare disability called sacral agenesis. To improve his mobility, his legs were amputated at the hip when he was six months....
, "Man with half a body" - Kenny EverettKenny EverettKenny Everett was an English comedian, radio DJ and television entertainer. Born Maurice James Christopher Cole, Everett is best known for his career as a radio DJ and for the Kenny Everett television shows.-Early life:...
, disc-jockey and comedian - Kenny GKenny GKenneth Bruce Gorelick , better known by his stage name Kenny G, is an American, adult contemporary and smooth jazz saxophonist. His fourth album, Duotones, brought him breakthrough success in 1986...
, smooth jazz saxophonist - Kenny GarnerKenny GarnerKenny "Deuce" Garner is an American mixed martial arts fighter who competes in the heavyweight division. Garner began his MMA career in 2008 and has competed mostly for M-1 Global, where he became the 2010 M-1 Selection Americas Heavyweight Champion by defeating Patrick Bennett.-Early...
, American mixed martial arts fighter - Kenny HåkanssonKenny HåkanssonKenny Håkansson is the bassist of the highly influential Swedish rock & roll band the Hellacopters. The Hellacopters were founded by Håkansson's childhood friend Nicke Andersson as a side project to his role as a drummer in the heavy metal band Entombed, considered to be founders of death 'n'...
, Swedish musician - Kenny HotzKenny HotzKenneth Joel "Kenny" Hotz is an award-winning Canadian writer, director, actor, producer and photographer. He is a former South Park consultant/writer, creator/director/co-star of the Showcase and Comedy Central television show Kenny vs...
, Canadian filmmaker and star of Kenny vs. SpennyKenny vs. SpennyKenny vs. Spenny is a Canadian comedy reality television series about Kenny Hotz and Spencer Rice, who face each other in various competitions. The loser of the episode must perform an act of humiliation, usually selected by the winner. Hotz and Rice helped create the series, and it was typically... - Kenny Hughes, actor, dancer, director and writer
- Kenny Irwin, Jr.Kenny Irwin, Jr.Kenneth Dale Irwin, Jr. was a NASCAR stock car driver. He had driven in all three major of forms of NASCAR and had two total victories. Before that, he raced in the United States Auto Club against Tony Stewart, who was one of his fiercest rivals...
, former NASCAR driver - Kenny LayneKenny LayneKenny Layne is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kenny King. King currently wrestles for Ring of Honor. He was a contestant in the second season of WWF Tough Enough.-Early life:...
, professional wrestler - Kenny Liu, member of Mandopop boy band Top CombineTop CombineTop Combine is a Mandopop boy band. The group consists of the members Bird Zhang, Caesar Li, Mars Ma, Kenny Liu, and Tanas Kim. All were professionally trained in singing, dancing, modeling, and language. With the exception of Kim, the other four members of Top Combine were all 2007 contestants...
- Kenny LoftonKenny LoftonKenneth Lofton is a former Major League Baseball outfielder known for his great speed on the base paths as well as in the field, award-winning defensive play , timely hitting, and playful spirit. He batted and threw left-handed...
, baseball outfielder - Kenny LogginsKenny LogginsDuring the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack...
, American singer and songwriter - Kenny MayneKenny MayneKenneth "Kenny" Wheelock Mayne is a sports journalist and comedian for ESPN.-Sports career:A native of Kent, Washington, Mayne is a former honorable mention junior college All-American quarterback in 1978 at Wenatchee Valley Community College in Wenatchee, WA...
, American sports journalist - Kenny MillerKenny MillerKenneth "Kenny" Miller is a Scottish footballer who plays as a striker for Cardiff City and the Scotland national football team...
, Derby county footballer playing upfront - Kenny MuhammadKenny MuhammadKenny Muhammad is an American beatboxer occasionally referred to as The Human Orchestra, a moniker he affirmed by performing David Eaton's composition....
, beatbox artist - Kenny OrtegaKenny OrtegaKenneth John "Kenny" Ortega is an American producer, director, and choreographer. He is known for directing the High School Musical trilogy and Michael Jackson's This Is It concert tour.-Life and career:...
, film director - Kenny PerryKenny PerryJames Kenneth Perry is an American professional golfer who currently plays on both the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour, for which he became eligible following his 50th birthday.-Early years:...
, American professional golfer - Kenny RobertsKenny RobertsKenneth Leroy Roberts is a former motorcycle racer and racing team owner. In 1978, he became the first American to win a Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship. He was also a two-time winner of the A.M.A. Grand National Championship...
, former motorcycle racer - Kenny RogersKenny RogersKenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
, American country music singer - Kenny WallaceKenny WallaceKenneth Wallace is an American stock car driver who currently drives the #09 Family Farmers/University of Northwestern Ohio/Federated Auto Parts/American Ethanol/Iowa Corn/G-Oil/Marquis Energy Toyota Camry for RAB Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series...
, NASCAR driver
Surname
- Anthony KennyAnthony KennySir Anthony John Patrick Kenny FBA is an English philosopher whose interests lie in the philosophy of mind, ancient and scholastic philosophy, the philosophy of Wittgenstein and the philosophy of religion...
, English philosopher - Enda KennyEnda KennyEnda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since...
, Irish politician - Brett KennyBrett KennyBrett Kenny is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. He was a five-eighth for the Australian national team, the New South Wales Blues representative side and the Parramatta Eels. He played in 17 Tests, made 17 State of Origin appearances and won 4...
, Australian rugby league footballer - Brian KennyBrian KennyBrian Kenny may refer to:*Brian Kenny , MLB Network personality and journalist*Brian Kenny , Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick*Brian Kenny , British Army General...
(disambiguation) - Elizabeth KennyElizabeth KennyElizabeth Kenny was an unqualified Australian nurse who promoted a controversial new approach to the treatment of poliomyelitis in the era before mass vaccination eradicated the disease in most countries.-Youth:...
, Australian nurse - Gerard KennyGerard KennyGerard Kenny is a popular music singer-songwriter.-Career:Kenny formed his first band whilst in high school and between then, and the early 1970s, he toured the club circuit. In 1968 he landed his first recording contract with Warner Bros...
, composer - J. E. KennyJ. E. KennyJoseph Edward Kenny was an Irish physician, Coroner of the City of Dublin, nationalist politician and Member of Parliament...
, Irish politician - James Kenny (photographer)James Kenny (photographer)James Kenny is a professional photographer based in the United Kingdom, best known for his fashion, celebrity portrait and documentary work.- Biography :...
, British photographer - Jason KennyJason KennyJason Francis Kenny MBE is an English track cyclist, specialising in the individual and team sprints. After winning multiple World and European Junior titles in 2006 and achieving medals in the under 23 European championships in 2007, Kenny was selected ahead of Ross Edgar to compete for Great...
, English cyclist - Jon KennyJon KennyJon Kenny lives in Lough Gur and is one half of the famous Irish comic duo d'Unbelievables with Pat Shortt...
, Irish comedian and actor - Lawrence KennyLawrence KennyFather Lawrence Kenny was a Roman Catholic Jesuit priest who was also an exorcist.He participated in the exorcism, in St. Louis, Missouri, of a thirteen year old Lutheran boy who became possessed after using a Ouija board. This was the case on which William Peter Blatty based his novel The...
, Catholic priest and exorcist - Mark KennyMark KennyMarc Kenny is a former Irish footballer.A midfielder he made his League of Ireland debut for Shamrock Rovers at Finn Harps on the 12th of October 1996...
, former Irish footballer - Matthew Joseph KennyMatthew Joseph KennyMatthew Joseph Kenny was an Irish lawyer and Nationalist politician from County Clare. He was elected to the United Kingdom House of Commons at the age of 21, qualified as a barrister whilst still a Member of Parliament , and later became a judge in the Irish Free State.- Early life :Kenny was...
, Irish politician - Mick Kenny (Kilkenny hurler), Irish hurler
- Nick Kenny (poet)Nick Kenny (poet)Nicholas Aloysius Kenny was a syndicated newspaper columnist, a song lyricist and a poet who wrote light verse in the Edgar Guest tradition.-Biography:...
- Nick Kenny (rugby league), Australian rugby league player
- Paddy KennyPaddy KennyPatrick Joseph "Paddy" Kenny is a footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Queens Park Rangers in the Barclays Premier League.-Early career:...
, British-born Irish footballer - Paddy Kenny (hurler)Paddy Kenny (hurler)Paddy Kenny was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Borrisoleigh and with the Tipperary senior inter-county team in the 1940s and 1950s. Kenny is regarded as one of Tipperary’s greatest-ever players.-Club:...
, Irish hurler - Pat KennyPat KennyPatrick "Pat" Kenny is an Irish broadcaster and former disc jockey and continuity announcer. He is employed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is their highest paid presenter. He presents Today with Pat Kenny on RTÉ Radio 1 each weekday morning between 10:00 and midday...
, Irish broadcaster - Seán Kenny (hurler)Seán Kenny (hurler)Seán Kenny was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Borris-Ileigh and was a member of the Tipperary senior inter-county team in the 1940s and 1950s. Kenny captained Tipperary to the All-Ireland title in 1950.-Early life:...
, Irish hurler - Stephen Kenny (footballer), Irish football manager
- Tom KennyTom KennyThomas James "Tom" Kenny is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is especially known for his long-running-role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the television series of the same name, as well as the live-action character Patchy the Pirate, Gary the Snail and the French narrator based on...
, American voice actor - Tom Kenny (hurler)Tom Kenny (hurler)Tom Kenny is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling and Gaelic football with his local club Grenagh and has been a dual player with the Cork senior inter-county teams at various times since 2003.-Biography:...
, Irish hurler
Fictional characters
- Kenny (Beyblade)Kenny (Beyblade)Kenny, known in the original Japanese version as Professor and in the English version as the Chief, is a fictional character in the popular anime and manga series of Beyblade. He is voiced by Houko Kuwashima in the Japanese version, and Alex Hood in the English dub...
, a character in the anime and manga series Beyblade - Kenny (Tomorrow People)Kenny (Tomorrow People)Kenny is a fictional character from the British television series The Tomorrow People. His first appearance is in "The Slaves of Jedikiah", and last appears in The Vanishing Earth, Part 4. Kenny is portrayed by Stephen Salmon...
, a character in the 1970s science fiction series The Tomorrow People - Kenny McCormickKenny McCormickKenneth "Kenny" McCormick is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is one of the four central characters along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Eric Cartman. His oft-muffled and indiscernible speech—the result of his parka hood covering his...
, a character in the animated series South ParkSouth ParkSouth Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics... - Kenny PowersKenny PowersKenny Powers is the fictional main character from the HBO television series Eastbound and Down, played by American actor Danny McBride. Powers is portrayed as a once dominant baseball pitcher, whose poor work ethic and short temper jeopardized his professional career...
, the protagonist of the HBO series Eastbound and Down - Kenny SmythKenny SmythKenny Smyth, played by Shane Jacobson, is an Australian fictional character. Jacobson portrays Smyth as an amiable chummy type of person with a slightly gruff, but extremely cheerful character. Smyth appeared in the 2006 film Kenny and the TV series Kenny's World.-Kenny:The film is about Kennys'...
, a corporate bathroom plumber in the 2006 film KennyKenny (2006 film)Kenny is a 2006 Australian mockumentary film starring Shane Jacobson as Kenny Smyth, a Melbourne plumber who works for corporate bathroom rental company Splashdown.... - Kenny WanglerKenny WanglerKenny "Bricks" Wangler is a fictional character in the HBO drama Oz, played by actor J.D. Williams.-Character overview:Prisoner #97W566. Convicted July 6, 1997 - murder in the first degree . Sentence: 20 years, eligible for parole in six.He was sent to prison for murdering a student he was...
, an African American drug addict in the HBO drama OzOz (TV series)Oz is an American television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes . It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by premium cable network HBO. Oz premiered on July 12, 1997 and ran for six seasons... - Kenpachi ZarakiKenpachi Zarakiis a fictional character and an antihero in the anime and manga series Bleach created by Tite Kubo. He is the captain of the 11th Division within the Gotei 13. His lieutenant is Yachiru Kusajishi.- Character outline :...
, a character in the anime and manga series Bleach whose name is often - kennyKennyKenny is an Irish family surname, an anglicisation of the Irish Ó Cionnaith, sometimes spelled Ó Cionnaoith.One bearer of the name was Cainnech of Aghaboe, better known in English as Saint Canice - a sixth century Irish priest and missionary, after whom the city and county of Kilkenny is also named...
a character name for the movie Let Me In (film)Let Me In (film)Let Me In is a 2010 American romantic horror film directed by Matt Reeves and starring Kodi Smit-McPhee and Chloë Grace Moretz. It is based on the 2008 Swedish film Let the Right One In , directed by Tomas Alfredson, and the novel of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist...
Places
In the United States:- Kenny, CaliforniaKenny, CaliforniaKenny is an unincorporated community in Mendocino County, California, at the headwaters of Usal Creek. It is located southwest of Piercy, at an elevation of 1601 feet .A post office operated at Kenny from 1888 to 1903 and from 1907 to 1924....
, a community in Mendocino County, CA, United States - Kenny, Minneapolis, a neighborhood in Southwest Minneapolis, MN, United States
- Kenney, IllinoisKenney, IllinoisKenney is a village in DeWitt County, Illinois, United States. The population was 326 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Kenney is located at ....
, a village in DeWitt County, Illinois, United States
In Australia:
- Kenny, Australian Capital TerritoryKenny, Australian Capital TerritoryKenny is a designated suburb in the Canberra, Australia district of Gungahlin. The suburb is named in honour of Elizabeth Kenny, an Australian who pioneered muscle rehabilitation practices which serve as the foundation of physiotherapy...
, a planned suburb in the Canberra district of Gungahlin
Entertainment
- Kenny (1988 film)Kenny (1988 film)Kenny is a 1988 film featuring Kenny Easterday in a semi-autobiographical role.-Plot:The film follows how 13-year-old Kenny, his family and neighborhood deal with the intrusion of a French-speaking Quebec crew filming a documentary about Kenny's adaptation to his unusual congenital condition, the...
, a Canadian production - Kenny (2006 film)Kenny (2006 film)Kenny is a 2006 Australian mockumentary film starring Shane Jacobson as Kenny Smyth, a Melbourne plumber who works for corporate bathroom rental company Splashdown....
, an Australian production - Kenny (album)Kenny (album)Kenny is the seventh studio album by Kenny Rogers, released in 1979. It includes the singles "Coward of the County" and "You Decorated My Life.""Tulsa Turnaround" is a reworking of an earlier song Rogers recorded with The First Edition....
, a 1979 music album by Kenny Rogers - Kenny (band)Kenny (band)Kenny were a mid-1970s English pop and glam rock band.-Career:Kenny emerged from a North London band called Chufff. Songwriters Bill Martin and Phil Coulter wrote the bulk of the successful songs for them. In the event, stardom was to prove extremely fleeting...
, a mid-1970s glamrock/pop band from London
See also
- List of Irish-language given names
- Kenney (disambiguation)
- Kinney (disambiguation)