King (surname)
King | |
---|---|
Family name | |
A king | |
Meaning | head or leader |
Region of origin | England/Scotland |
Language(s) of origin | English/Gaelic |
King is a surname of English, Scottish and French origin. The English name comes from Old English cyning (tribal leader), which may derive from Proto-Germanic kuningaz.[1]
The Irish surname King is associated with County Galway and was often given to Irish-American immigrants as an anglicized form of the surname Conroy, among others.
The Scottish surname King is a sept of the Clan Gregor / MacGregor.
The French surname King is associated with orphanages in France where children were given the last name Roi/Roy [French for King], as they were called the King's children. For example, the Filles de Roi, or King's girls, were young girls who were given a dowry by the King and sent to Quebec in the 16th century.[2] For immigrants to the United States, the name was then Americanised to King.
List of people with the surname King
Disambiguation of common names with this surname
- Alan King (disambiguation)
- Albert King (disambiguation)
- Andrew or Andy King
- Callum King (disambiguation)
- Catherine King (disambiguation)
- Charles (Charlie, or Chuck) King
- Chris King (disambiguation)
- Daniel (or Dan, Danny) King
- David (or Dave, Davey) King
- Edward (Ed, or Eddie) King
- Eric King (disambiguation)
- Evelyn King (disambiguation)
- Frank King (disambiguation)
- Gary King (disambiguation)
- George King (disambiguation)
- Harry King (disambiguation)
- Helen King (disambiguation)
- Henry King (disambiguation)
- Howard (or Howie) King
- Ian King (disambiguation)
- James (Jim, or Jimmy) King
- Jack King (disambiguation)
- Jason King (disambiguation)
- Jeff (or Jeffrey) King
- Joe or Joseph King
- John (or Johnny) King
- Kenneth King (or Ken, Kenny) King
- Katie King (disambiguation)
- Larry King (disambiguation)
- Mark King (disambiguation)
- Mary King (disambiguation)
- Martin King (disambiguation)
- Matthew or Matt King
- Mervyn King (disambiguation)
- Michael (or Mike) King
- Paul King (disambiguation)
- Peter (or Pete) King
- Philip (or Phil) King
- Preston King (disambiguation)
- Ray King (disambiguation)
- Richard (or Rich) King
- Robert (or Bob, Bobby, Rob, Robbie, or Robby) King
- Ross King (disambiguation)
- Rufus King (disambiguation)
- Simon King (disambiguation)
- Stephen, Steve or Steven King
- Susan King (disambiguation)
- Thomas (or Tom) King
- William (or Bill, Billy, Will, Willie, Willy) King
Arts and music
- Allyn King (1899–1930), American stage and film actress
- B.B. King (1925-2015), American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter
- Ben E. King (1938-2015), American singer
- Bertie King (1912–1981), Jamaican jazz and mento musician
- Bianca King (born 1985), Filipina actor
- Bill King (1927-2005), American radio announcer
- Brett King (1920-1999), American actor and businessman
- Carole King, American singer and songwriter
- Dennis King, actor
- Earl King (1934-2003), American blues singer-songwriter
- Freddie King (1934-1976), American blues guitarist
- Georgia King, actress
- Héctor King, Mexican recording artist
- Inge King (1915-2016), German-born Australian sculptor
- Jazzy (or Jasmina) King, German-English singer
- Jessie Marion King, Scottish painter and illustrator
- Jonathan King, British musician and record producer
- Jonathan King (film director), New Zealand film director
- Kerry King (born 1964), American rock musician
- Mabel King (1932-1999), American film, stage, and television actor
- Marcia Gygli King (1931-2011), American artist
- Mollie King (born 1987), British singer
- Pee Wee King (1914-2000), American country music singer
- Regina King (born 1971), American actor
- Rowena King (born 1970), British actor
- Ruby (or Natasha) King, German-English singer
- Sidney E. King (1906-2002), American painter
- Tara King, fictional character in The Avengers television series
- Teddi King (1929-1977), American jazz and pop vocalist
- Wayne King (1901-1985), American musician, singer, songwriter and orchestral leader
- Wright King (born 1923), American actor
Military
- Ernest King (1878–1956), US Navy admiral
Politics and government
- Adam King (1783–1835), former US Representative from Pennsylvania
- Alveda King (born 1951), American politician and minister
- Angela King (1938-2007), Jamaican diplomat
- Bruce King (1924–2009), former governor of New Mexico
- Coretta Scott King, American civil rights leader and widow of Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Frederick King (born 1923), Canadian House of Commons member
- Martin Luther King, Jr., American civil rights leader
- Owen King (Wisconsin) (1845-1932), American politician and businessman
- Ralph E. King (1902-1974), American physician and Louisiana state senator
- William Lyon Mackenzie King, 10th prime minister of Canada
Sciences
- Leonard William King (1869-1919), English archaeologist
- Lester Charles King (1907–1989), English geomorphologist
Sports
- Adam King (born 1995), Scottish footballer
- Alex King (basketball) (born 1985), German basketballer
- Barry King (decathlete) (born 1945), British Olympic decathlete, corporate director and author
- Barry King (tennis) (born 1985), Irish tennis player
- Bernard King (born 1956), American basketball player
- Billie Jean King (born 1943), American tennis player
- Cathy King, Canadian curler
- Collis King, former West Indian cricketer
- Dana M. King, American college sports coach
- D. J. King (born 1984), Canadian professional ice hockey player
- Dolly King (1916–1969), American basketball player
- Don King (born 1931), American boxing promoter
- Don King (born 1960), American surfing photographer
- Dwight King (born 1989), Canadian professional ice hockey player
- Emmit King (born 1959), American sprinter
- Ernie King (1903–1993), English footballer who played for Southampton
- Gordon King, American football player
- Kim King, American college football player
- Lamar King (born 1975), American football player
- Ledley King (born 1980), English footballer
- Lilly King (born 1997), American swimmer
- Marlon King (born 1980), Jamaican footballer
- Reggie King (born 1957), American basketball player
- Sam King (1911-2003), professional golfer
- Savannah King (born 1992), Canadian freestyle swimmer
- Shaun King (American football), American football player and sports commentator
- Shawn King (basketball), (born 1982), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines basketball player
- Syd King (1873-1933), English footballer and manager
- Vania King (born 1989), American tennis player
- W. J. King (1864-1934), American college football coach
Writing
- Francis King (1923-2011), British novelist, poet, and short story writer
- Grace King, American author
- Harold R. "Hal" King, American suspense novelist
Other
- Basil King (1859–1928), Canadian clergy and novelist
- Beverly Sedgwick King (1876–1935), philatelist of New York City
- Karen Leigh King (born 1954), American academic
- Kelly King (born 1948), American businesswoman
- Rodney King (1965–2012), American man beaten by Los Angeles police
- Willford I. King, American statistician and economist