Origin and meaning of the name KENTIE
Hello,

Can you help me with information about the origin and meaning of this surname? A Scottish ancestor had the surname Kenti (about the year 1650). There are many theories about the possible origin, but all theories are questionable. Like:
- relation with the surname MacKenzie (not very probable)
- surname Canty, Kent etc.
- a Polish town called Kentie (a Polish saint had this name)
- the first name Kenti is a short form of the first name Innokenti, which is the Russian form of the first name Innocentius.
- etc.
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Replies

George Fraser Black's "Surnames of Scotland" makes no mention of this name, though the -ie ending gives it a Scottish look. Black does mention the forename Kentigern, which was in use in pre-reformation Scotland. Could this be a familiar form? Kentigern, a male given name, is from the Gaelic ceann, "head, chief", and tighearna "lord." St. Kentigern, alias St. Mungo, is the patron saint of the city of Glasgow.
Before reading your reference to 17th century Sotland I thinking this might be a variant of the Irish MacEntee, sometimes found as macKenty. I'm still not prepared to dismiss that idea out of hand. MacEntee in Irish is Mac an tsaoi, "son of the scholar."
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Thanks for your answer. I hope this will help me.
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