KYNCADES is a website celebrating the surname that derived from the lands of Kyncade in Campsie Parish, County Stirling, Scotland. The lands are located just north of Kirkintilloch (north east of Glasgow), in the north-west angle formed by the River Kelvin and its tributary the Glazert.

KYNCADES recognizes that there are a variety of spellings of our surname; including Kincaid, Kincaide, Kincade, Kinkead, Kinkaid, Kinkade, KinKaid, KinKade, and Kingcade. All are variations of a word that is P Celtic^* in origin. It may have originally been Neo-Brittonic Pen ced. In 1238/9, it appeared in Latin charters as Kyncaith and soon thereafter a shift occurred from the voiced \th\ to \d\. In the early 1400s Kyncade was the most common spelling. This website is named in recognition of this early spelling. However, when referring to the lands or those of our surname, the spelling Kincaid will be used given that it is now the popular spelling in Scotland.

The origins of the family that first took their surname from the lands of Kincaid are obscure. DNA testing has proven that the oldest group of Kincaids are of the R-U106 haplogroup and not native to Scotland. Kincaids belong to the R-FGC12993 branch. Throughout history, Kincaids were treated as a Lowland Scottish baronial family. It was only after 2 June 1959 that Kincaid was promoted as a Gaelic clan. This was when Alwyne Cecil Peareth Kincaid-Lennox (born Alwyne Cecil Peareth) petitioned the Lord Lyon King of Arms of Scotland to be recognized as Alwyne Cecil Kincaid of Kincaid, Chief of the Name of Kincaid. Since then a handful of American Highland games enthusiasts have hijacked our traditional history and feverishly promote a false Gaelic tradition for Kincaids.

KYNCADES take a position that organizing some of our surname as a Gaelic clan under a Chief does not make that clan, or its Chief, representative or reflective of others of our surname who believe in a different heritage. This website respects 1) the wishes of those who prefer to participate in the Gaelic culture and 2) the dignity of any Chief they choose to adhere to. However, KYNCADES will concentrate on exploring and promoting what the evidence reveals about the nature of the family that originally assumed our surname.

This website is not affiliated with the Clan Kincaid Society organized in the United States in 1987. The Clan Kincaid Society is a Gaelic clan based organization representing Arabella Jane Kincaid of Kincaid, eventual successor to Alwyne Cecil Peareth Kincaid-Lennox.

^*An example of how P Celtic contrasts with Q Celtic languages is in their word for 'son of.' The P Celtic Welsh has ap which derives from map. The Q Celtic Gaelic has mac which derives from maq.