Kenny
Kenny is an Irish family surname, an anglicisation of the Irish Ó Cionnaith, sometimes spelled Ó Cionnaoith. The name Ó Cionnaith refers to a male descendant of 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.
Another theory states that the name is derived from Ó Cionaodha, meaning the descendants of a person named Cionaodha. A possible origin for the name Cionaodha is "cion Aodha", meaning "love of Aodh", the sun-god.
Kenny is ranked at number 76 in the list of the most common surnames in Ireland.[1] Other spellings include O'Kenny, Kenney, Kennie and Kinnie.
Kenny is most often used as a diminutive form of Kenneth and Ken but it's also used as a given name.
Kenny is also the name of the comedy, cartoon show, South Park.
People named Kenny
Given name
- Cainnech of Aghaboe (Saint Kenny), also known as Saint Canice or Saint Kenneth
- Kenny Anderson, basketball player
- Kenny Bernstein, NHRA driver
- Kenny Bräck, former IndyCar driver
- Kenny Chesney, American singer
- Kenny Clarke, jazz drummer
- Kenny Dalglish, Scottish soccer player and manager
- Kenny Delmar, actor and voice artist
- Kenny Dykstra, American professional wrestler
- Kenny Easterday, "Man with half a body"
- Kenny Everett, disc-jockey and comedian
- Kenny G, saxophonist
- Kenny Garner, American mixed martial arts fighter
- Kenny Håkansson, Swedish musician
- Kenny Hotz, Canadian filmmaker and star of Kenny vs. Spenny
- Kenny Hughes, actor, dancer, director and writer
- Kenny Irwin, Jr., former NASCAR driver
- Kenny Layne, professional wrestler
- Kenny Liu, member of Mandopop boy band Top Combine
- Kenny Lofton, baseball outfielder
- Kenny Loggins, American singer and songwriter
- Kenny Mayne, American sports journalist
- Kenny Miller, Derby county footballer playing upfront
- Kenny Muhammad, beatbox artist
- Kenny Ortega, film director
- Kenny Perry, American professional golfer
- Kenny Roberts, former motorcycle racer
- Kenny Rogers, American country music singer
- Kenny Wallace, NASCAR driver
Surname
- Anthony Kenny, English philosopher
- Enda Kenny, Irish politician
- Seán Ó Cionnaith, Irish politician
- Brett Kenny, Australian rugby league footballer
- Elizabeth Kenny, Australian nurse
- Gerard Kenny, composer
- James Kenny (photographer), British photographer
- Jason Kenny, English cyclist
- Jon Kenny, Irish comedian and actor
- Lawrence Kenny, Catholic priest and exorcist
- Mark Kenny, former Irish footballer
- Nick Kenny (poet)
- Nick Kenny (rugby league), Australian rugby league player
- Pat Kenny, Irish broadcaster
- Stephen Kenny (footballer), Irish football manager
- Tom Kenny, American voice actor
- Tom Kenny (hurler), Irish hurler
- Seán Kenny (hurler), Irish hurler
- Mick Kenny (Kilkenny hurler), Irish hurler
- Paddy Kenny (hurler), Irish hurler
- Paddy Kenny, British-born Irish footballer
Fictional characters
- Kenny (Beyblade), a character in the anime and manga series Beyblade
- Kenny (Tomorrow People), a character in the 1970s science fiction series The Tomorrow People
- Kenny McCormick, a character in the animated series South Park
- Kenny Wangler, an African American drug addict in the HBO drama Oz
- Kenpachi Zaraki, a character in the anime and manga series Bleach whose name is often shortened as 'Kenny'
- Kenny Smyth, a corporate bathroom plumber in the 2006 film Kenny
- Kenny Powers, the protagonist of the HBO series Eastbound and Down
Places
In the United States:
- Kenny, California, a community in Mendocino County, CA, United States
- Kenny, Minneapolis, a neighborhood in Southwest Minneapolis, MN, United States
In Australia:
- Kenny, Australian Capital Territory, a planned suburb in the Canberra district of Gungahlin
Entertainment
- Kenny (1988 film), a Canadian production
- Kenny (2006 film), an Australian production
- Kenny (album), a 1979 music album by Kenny Rogers
- Kenny (band), a mid-1970s glamrock/pop band from London
See also
References
- http://www.goireland.com/genealogy/family.htm?FamilyId=203
- http://www.surnamedb.com/surname.aspx?name=Kenny
- http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gkbopp/KINNEY/Research/Variations/KennySurname.htm
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