by Esher Stahl

Created on: February 08, 2008

Kenton (K(e)-nton/Ken-ton), masculine in all of its forms, originates from Old English. Meaning "the royal settlement," or "place," it is a name that seems to resonate of regal heredity and represents one of solid character. Whilst it is a popular surname, especially within the United Kingdom, it is a rather unusual first name and, therefore, unique.

Derived from a hamlet name recorded as Keninton in 1232, located in Middlesex, England, its roots were taken from the personal name of the Saxon "Coena" and old English "tun," a farm and means "the farm of Coena."

In 1930, Kenton made its first appearance on to US statistical records. Although it experienced an incidental popularity in 1950 (ranked #670), it significant declines continued to occur through 1998. To date, it has achieved its highest ranking in 1950 (#670) and its lowest ranking in 1935 (#996). Unfortunately, it no longer entered the registrars following 1998 to provide further details. Though never in the top 100 male names in the US, it portrays a sense of strength and is distinctive in its nature.

The village is a celebrity in its own right. Several of Kenton's streets appeared in an episode of the British cult classic television series, "Fawlty Towers," starring John Cleese of Monty Python fame. It was also the inspiration for the song, "Kenton Kev," by the Berlin-based jazz band The Magoo Brothers, in 1988. Television star, Pam St. Clement, who portrays Pat Evans on EastEnders, a long-standing soap favorite of the British, is a well-known resident. Beginning in the 1920s, Thomas Francis Nash, a wealthy and respected businessman who owned building companies was responsible for many of the private housing estates established within Kenton and the surrounding area. The term "Nash-built" is a description still in common use by local estate agents.

Other interesting facts about this particular name include:

>There are two villages in England bearing the name: Kenton, Middlesex and Kenton, Tyne and Wear. Also, there is Kenton, Manitoba, Canada, and several US towns/cities with the name: Kenton, Delaware, Kenton County, Kentucky, Kenton, Ohio, Kenton, Oklahoma, and Kenton, Tennessee. Many of these locales were named for a Kentucky/Ohio frontiersman, Simon Kenton, who was a friend of Daniel Boone.

>Popular amongst jazz enthusiasts both in England and US is the music of Stan Kenton (1911-9179), American jazz pianist extraordinaire, who established himself as an innovative musician and band leader.

>The sports fan may recognize this player Kenton Thornton, wide receiver for the North Carolina Tar Heels college football team. Kenton's birthplace was Dallas, Texas.

>Lastly, examples of fictional characters are publisher John Kenton, a pivotal character in a thriller by Stephen King called, "The Plant," reworked and republished in 2001 and from 1939 the science-fiction story, "In the Walls of Eryx," about the life and death of its main character, Kenton Stanfield, written by H.P. Lovecraft and Kenneth J. Sterling.

Variants: Kentan, Kentin, Ken, Kenny

Resources
Wikipedia.com
Espn.go.com
Horrorking.com
Behindthename.com

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