[Surname] Re: Origin and meaning of the name KENTIE
by Jim Young (guest)
1/18/2005, 5:57 AM
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."