Killingsworth
A rare English surname that was probably taken from a place-name, with early spellings showing confusion with related forms like Chillingworth and Shillingsworth.
The #7,135 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 65,887 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is generally treated as locational, apparently from a place called Killingworth in Northumberland. The place-name is usually explained as containing an Old English personal name such as Cylla or a similar first element plus the common place-name suffix -worth, meaning an enclosure or homestead. The family name has also been linked in historical sources with spellings like Chillingworth and Shillingsworth, suggesting that pronunciation and spelling varied a good deal over time.
History
Nineteenth-century surname writers noted Killingsworth alongside several variant spellings and treated it as a local name. The form seems to have been relatively uncommon in Britain, with later bearers appearing in English and American records. In the United States, it is a rare but established surname, preserved in census records and historical notices.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Bardsley specifically grouped Killingsworth with spelling variants, showing how unstable surnames could be before standardized spelling became common.
From the historical record
“Shillingford,' parishes in co. Berks and Devon. Probably originally Killingford; v.Killingsworth,where such variants as Chillingworth and Shillingsworth are mentioned. 1663. Charlei Shillingfoid, alia. Iiard, and Mary Pryor : Uarnaee Aflef;.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances