Kinne
A short surname with several possible roots, including a form related to Kinn and a possible variant of Kinney.
The #9,466 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 89,830 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Kinne is a surname with more than one plausible explanation, and the historical record is not clear enough to choose one with confidence. It may be a spelling variant of Kinn, a name that can be connected to a topographic word for a ridge or corner in some traditions, or it may be a reduced or altered form related to Kinney. In some cases, surnames of this shape can also reflect anglicized Irish forms, but the evidence for Kinne itself is limited.
History
The 19th-century references available here mention Kinne only in passing, without giving a full derivation. The surname is uncommon in the modern United States, which often means it survived as a small family line or represents more than one independent spelling history. Because the evidence is thin, its exact origin should be treated cautiously.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In the historical excerpt, Kinne appears alongside other surnames beginning with Kin-, suggesting that earlier writers may have grouped it by form rather than by a fully established etymology.
From the historical record
“MoTHERWAY was at the bar of our Police Court, Dec. 2, 1858. His mother was probably away, " and did not know, that he was out." Mr. Kinne was graduated at Yale ; as was also Mr. Elderkin. Gen. Elderkin, of New York, is a visitor at AVest Point. Miss Petter s marriage is announced in " Galignani," Oct. 24, 1859.…”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)