King (surname)

King
Family name
A king
Meaning	head or leader
Region of origin	England/Scotland
Language(s) of origin	English/Gaelic

King is a surname of English, Scottish and French origin. The English name comes from Old English cyning (tribal leader), which may derive from Proto-Germanic kuningaz.

The Irish surname King is associated with County Galway and was often given to Irish-American immigrants as an anglicized form of the surname , among others.

The Scottish surname King is a sept of the Clan Gregor / MacGregor.

The French surname King is associated with orphanages in France where children were given the last name Roi/Roy [French for King], as they were called the King's children. For example, the Filles de Roi, or King's girls, were young girls who were given a dowry by the King and sent to Quebec in the 16th century. For immigrants to the United States, the name was then Americanised to King.

...
Wikipedia