Kincaid
A Scottish surname from a place-name, long associated with the Kincaid family of that Ilk in Fife.
The #2,000 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 17,081 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is generally explained as coming from a Scottish place-name, borne by an old landowning family in Fife. Earlier writers connected it with Gaelic elements and treated it as a territorial name attached to the family seat. The form has also appeared as Kineade, Kinkead, and related spellings in historical records.
History
The Kincaids were described in older Scottish works as a family 'of that Ilk,' meaning they took their surname from their estate. Lower links the family with Fife and notes a long tradition of service connected with Edinburgh Castle. The name later spread beyond Scotland through emigration, especially to North America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older heraldic traditions say a Kincaid ancestor was rewarded for helping recover Edinburgh Castle from the English.
From the historical record
“Fife. KINCAID.* The Kincaids were "of that Ilk," at an early date. Of the castle in the amis of the family, Nisbet remarks : " It seems the castle represents that of Edinburgh ; for these of the family were a long time constables thereof.' ' An ancestor, " for his valiant service in recovering of the castle of…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom