About us
The Kenyon DNA Surname Project
The KENYON DNA surname project is global in scope. It is focused on helping everyone with known or suspected Kenyon paternal lineage throughout the world through the use of Y-DNA testing. The Kenyon Surname Project was initiated in late September 2005, by founding project administrator, Dr. Richard Reid Kenyon.
If you have questions, you can contact Richard, Marilyn, or Bob Kenyon whose emails are listed below.
Administrators:
Richard Reid Kenyon, PhD: Richard is a Kenyon researcher and member of ISOGG who spent decades studying Kenyon lines, creating descendant lists, and compiling census records for Kenyon males in the United States. He founded the Kenyon Project at Family Tree DNA in September 2005. He self-published The Author’s Supplement, a copy of the rough draft left by General Howard N. Kenyon at the time of his death.
His email is richardrkenyon@msn.com.
Marilyn A. Kenyon, MS Psy.D.: Marilyn has been involved in genetic genealogical research since 2007. In 2014, she self-published My Search for Lyman Kenyon's Ancestors: Early New York Kenyon Males, a compilation of Kenyon males living in New York State between 1790 and 1850 that details her process for breaking down a brick wall. She is the team leader at WikiTree Kenyon Name Study.
Her email is: marilyn500@gmail.com
Robert Kenyon: Bob has been actively researching Kenyon lineages for decades. He's interested in early English history and archeology and lives near an archeology site in Dorset. He has done local presentations and is a named contributor to published scientific articles. He is the Kenyon One-Name Study administrator at the Guild of One-Name Studies.
His email is: bobkenyon@btinternet.com
American Kenyon lines:
The major ones are listed below, starting with an ID, name, birth date and place, and number of known descendants.1 _John Kenyon_ b. circa 1647_prob. RI_17,478
2 _James Kenyon_ b. circa 1657_ prob. RI_ 955
A _John Kenyon_ b. circa 1782_ Holmfirth, Eng_ 148
B _Paul Kenyon_ b. circa1776_ MA/RI_143
C _Jonathan Kenyon_b. circa 1779_VT_141
D _David Kenyon_ b. circa 1730_Liverpool, Eng_61
E _Thomas Kenyon_ b. 1800_ Schoharie, NY_ 435_ f/a Rev. Henry B. Kenyon
F _ Roger Kenyon_ b. 1659/60_ Peel Hall, Lancs, Eng_ 27
G _John Kinion_ bef. 1794_NC_ 66
H _Lawrence Kinion_ b. circa 1765_ Orange Co., NC_ 182
J _Joseph Kenyon _b. circa 1794_ NY_15_ m2. Mary S. Hibbard
K _ Benjamin Kinion_ b. circa 1780_NC?_ 2,506
M _Madison S. Kenyon_ b. 1815_ Providence, RI_ 267
N _Nelson S. Kenyon_ b. circa 1829_ NY_ 15
P _Perry G. Kenyon_ b. circa 1792_ Charlestown, RI_ 79_ he d. 1861, Malloryville, Ont. Canada
Q _James Kinyon _b. 1789_ RI_ m1 Fannie Bell)
T _Joseph Kinion_ b. circa 1775_ NC?_207 _In Wash. Co., IL by 1820
X _Daniel Kenyon _b. circa 1744_ poss. Benson, VT_ 56_m. Mary Tanner
* These lines were compiled by Richard Reid Kenyon, PhD, on 21 Jul 2003
English Lines:
Identifying English lines and other Kenyon lineages worldwide (Canada, Scotland, Isle of Man, Wales, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Jamaica, and South Africa). Two English lines have been established through Big Y testing. This was a surprising discovery, as it was assumed that all Kenyon males descended from one Kenyon line in England, returning to when surnames were first adopted. It turns out two early lines were dating back to about 1200 CE. We've identified a Liverpool branch and Rhode Island and North Carolina branches of English lineage II.
Last updated: 26 Feb 2025