Is your name also Kiffin or are you also named after Kiffin Yates Rockwell, or then again perhaps you have something to do with him in one way or the other?

If your answer to this question is yes, then I invite you to take part in my open forum for all the other Kiffins in the world, God bless you. Please click here.

Kiffin Messages:

Believe it or not there are other persons out there with the first name of Kiffin who are also named after Kiffin Yates Rockwell. We all share this honor and are pretty proud to be carrying this name in honor of a fallen American hero. I would like to use this page to collect the names I discover and add their comments. I also include messages from others who in one way or the other have something to do with Kiffin Yates Rockwell. This is an attempt to bring all those Kiffins et al. together. Maybe in the future we could even organize some kind of yearly seminar in Luxeuil-les-Bains where Kiffin is buried. Have a look below:

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from Kifin, March 3, 2005

I hadn't realized Kiffin was a masculine name. I was named after a female Kiffin (my parents dropped an "f") who was a personal friend of my parents and exhibited character qualities my parents hoped I would develop. I have since heard of 3 other female Kiffins who were named after this same woman. I had been told it was a Norwegian name, but never had any proof of that, nor have I ever been able to find what it means. I see you trace it to the Eelsh - do you know what it means??

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from Mark M. Trapp, December 12, 2004

I am not named Kiffin, but if I ever have a son that is what I am naming him. I attended Washington and Lee University School of Law and there is a commemorative plaque on the wall of Lee Chapel dedicated to him. I saw the name and fell in love with it. Alas, my wife and I have only daughters (three)! But if we ever have a son, we have already selected his name.

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from Chuck a/k/a Kiffin Emanuel, November 29, 2004

Hi!

Although my given name is Lewis Charles Emanuel, I chose Kiffin as my Confirmation name in 1985. After reading Heroes of the Sunlit Sky by Arch Whitehouse, I became a huge fan of KYR.

A quick word about my given name: In most Italian households, the firstborn son is named after the paternal grandfather. In my case, Luigi Emanuelle (which my father had Anglicized to Emanuel during WWII), was a huge bone of contention with my mother. When the nurse in the neonatal ward of Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in NYC wanted to know the baby's name, my mother replied, "Louis Charles Emanuel". The nurse immediately asked her which spelling of the first name was to be used, my mother, in all of her obstinacy replied, maliciously, "Lewis".

My middle name was given as a tribute to Father Charles Hearth, of St. Fortunata's Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn, NY. It was by a derivative of Charles that I was known for the first thirty-nine years of my life (my Mother called me "Chuck", but to most others I was "Chuckie", "Charlie" or even "Manny" - since my family name is Emanuel.

In 1985, when I was Confirmed, the Bishop and I went around and around for several minutes, as he had never heard of a St. Kiffin. I told him that the name was a Welsh variant of Kevin and he finally relented. Hence, I am now known as Kiffin, a name I wear with pride. I have grown accustomed to explaining the origin of the name to new acquaintances as well as (newly acquired) family members (through marriage).

Thanks for the Kiffin site (and thanks to Google for finding it for me). Keep up the good work!

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from Gayle Kelly Garrison, October 27, 2004

My great-great grandmother was Sarah Rockwell, daughter of Chester Rockwell and she married David Needham Gore. They lived in Columbus County NC. As a child, I met Paul Rockwell who came to see my maternal grandmother. She always talked about Paul and Kiffin. Recently, I was at the Flight Museum in Seattle. It has a wonderful section on WWI.

Where are you located? I would love to write an article for OUR STATE, the NC magazine on Kiffin Rockwell. I have written several articles for magazines...your site is really very good.

I am a retired librarian in Ca. and was a history major graduated from Meredith College in Raleigh, NC and a Master's degree from Stephen F. Autin University in Texas.

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from Kyffin Webb, June 2, 2004

Hello! I found your site interesting, seeing as how my first name is Kyffin. (Pronunciation rhymes with Kitten.) I was googling my name and found this site. I thought it was very interesting, but I disagree, Kyffin is very unique! Just thought I would introduce you to another Kyffin!

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from John Thompson, November 6, 2003

I am a soon-to-be-made-to-retire airline pilot in dallas. Flew combat in Viet Nam. My great-grandfather was Enoch Shaw Ayres, grandfather Elias Tyler Ayres, who was Luala Rockwell's brother. Aunt Luala was in the first class of osteopathic doctors. My mother, who is still alive at 88, (drives, plays bridge, still lives at the old homeplace) has related several stories about the Rockwells and I will try to remember some. If any one of your readers is interested in contacting her, I can patch. When aunt Luala started DO school, K and brother Paul went to live w/ their grandparents but fought so badly that Kiffin was sent to live with my grandparents. My mother, at 88, is too young to have known him. Kiffin and Paul joined the French Foreign legion together, fought in the trenches, were both injured, and Paul went to Paris and stayed with a Marquis, or whatever the French nobles were called, and from there wrote the only accurate history of the esquidrille. I had and cannot find a book of letters K wrote to Paul. Please feel free to post this & my address to interested patrons.

BTW my son was to be named Kiffin Rockwell Thompson, but wife's dad died & I got pre-empted. Enjoyed your site. Cheers, JT

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from John Thompson, November 7, 2003

I sent an email last night about KR but not on this venue, I guess. Kiffin's mother was my great aunt Luala, sister to Elias Tyler Ayres, my mother's father. He lived for a while with my grandparents while his mother was in school, studying to become a DO. My mom, who is 88 years old today (Nov 6) was too young to remember Kiffin, but I remember My aunt Luala and also remember meeting Paul back in the early fifties. KR has always been of great interest to me, and a hero. I am a pilot---flew B-52's in Nam--and soon to retire from Southwest Airlines. We were to name my son Kiffin Rockwell Thompson, but My wife's dad died right when he was born and I was pre-empted. The Ayres family has good genes, Kiffin's mother lived to late 90's as did many of his relatives. My mom keeps some ties with Cousin Paul's family and I think I saw a g-g niece on one of your globs. I am pleasantly surprised to find so much interest in Kiffin rockwell and ask kindly that you keep me in the loop! BTW --- there is a plan to rename the Asheville Hendersonville airport in honor of KR and General Morgan, another AVL hero, in the near future.

Come to Texas and visit!

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from Claude Louvigné, January 30, 2003

I'm French and a former fighter pilot from the La Fayette Escadrille (1972 - 1978) because as you probably don't know the La Fayette Escadrille still exists ! and is located at LUXEUIL !!! I have flown Mirage III E in those days and now they fly Mirage 2000. And the Sioux is still the insigna on our birds. And we have also created in 1976 for the 60th anniversary an association I'm vice-president of, including the names of Thenault and Rockwell, linked with the La Fayette Escadrille Memorial at Marnes La Coquette (near Paris) built in 1920 in association between the French and the American remaining people from the early days. In 1976 for the 60th anniversary of the Escadrille creation we organized a big show at Luxeuil AFB, and for this occasion I met Paul Rockwell (his brother), his family and Charles Dolan II, the last surviving pilot of the initial American Escadrille who died in 1982. Just a quick word about Kiffin Rockwell's tomb. Don't worry about, because every year we have a ceremony in the cemetery of Luxeuil with the staff of the La Fayette Squadron and many of old chaps and sometimes some American officials and we never miss to put some flowers in memory of the early members of our Escadrille. Sorry about what you call "a metal structure". It is not very decorative, but it is an old souvenir from a ceremony a few years after the 2nd World War. Your site is nice and I'm happy to see that despite the fact that you are not from the air family you keep alive in your heart the memory and wear the name of one of those who came in France to help us to save freedom. We won't forget them.

Kind regards

Claude Louvigné
Vice-President of the Association de l'Escadrille La Fayette
Souvenir Thenault - Rockwell

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from Kiffin Hope, November 8, 2001

I was performing a web search for the name Kiffin when I came across your "Kiffin's Blog". I, too, am familiar with Kiffin Yates Rockwell. My deceased father, who was an amateur aviator, named me after him. Rockwell was born in raised in Asheville, NC, which is about an hour away from where I grew up in Spartanburg, SC. I now live in Colorado. I very much love my name "Kiffin". However, I can't find any information at all as to its origination or derivation. I have a feeling though that it must be an Old Norse or Gaelic/Celtic form of the modern day "Kevin": KEVIN (m) Anglicized form of the name Caoimhin, which means "handsome child" from Gaelic caomh "handsome" combined with a diminutive suffix. Saint Caoimhin established a monastery in Ireland and is the patron saint of Dublin; or perhaps KIEFER (m) From a surname meaning "barrel maker" (German), see https://www.behindthename.com/k.html.

Reading your entries, I was struct by how you also have vivid dreams. Perhaps that is one characteristic of persons named Kiffin. My dreams are fluid, lucid, impactful, and often influence my actions during the day. As far as dream interpretation goes, I'm a Jungian. That is, I believe that the unconscious mind is highly insightful and offers us advice and warnings in our dreams --- both of which are to be heeded.

Anyway, it's nice to know there's another Kiffin out there.

Best,

Kiffin Hope

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from Kiffin Hope, November 17, 2001

Hi, Kiffin.

I'm sure that you know of this book, but I will nevertheless mention it to you. My late father came across the figure Kiffin Yates Rockwell in a book he was reading on World War I aviators. The title of the book is They Fought for the Sky by Quentin Reynolds: https://www.dogbert.abebooks.com/abe/BookDetails?bi=99994124. I still have the original copy that my father had --- and from which he was inspired to name me Kiffin. Also, in the mid 1980's I attended music school at the University of North Carolina in Asheville, North Carolina --- Kiffin Yates Rockwell's hometown. On Merrimon Avenue in Asheville there is a roadside historical marker dedicated to Kiffin Y.R. I have a photo of it somewhere.

Have a wonderful weekend.

R. Kiffin Hope

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from Kiffin Gilbert, January 30, 2003

Hello Gish,

It's nice to hear from you again and to know that you are active on the internet.

It's true that I have not been active as I would like to be on my web site. Let's blame it on lack of time and energy, but I intend to be more active.

Concerning the sale of my domain name: I really enjoy it's use on email etc. and do not wish to part with it. Are you aware that Kiffin.net, Kiffin.biz, Kiffin.us, Kiffin.tv are all available.

Yor said you are named after Kiffin Rockwell . . . how did your parents find this name?

I have pictures of Kiffin Rockwell's birth place in Tennessee and his home in Ashville, NC. If you are interested in these I can send them to you.

I wish you good fortune in developing na website on Kiffin.net and I will be looking for it.

Kiffin Gilbert

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from Kiffin Gilbert, October 26, 2001

Kiffin,

I received your email and I am wonderfully surprised. I am terribly busy right now but I promise I will get back to you soon. As you can see, I have not done much with the web site, but I hope to correct that soon.

Really good hearing from you.

Kiffin Gilbert
https://www.kiffin.com

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from Kiffin Ayers, January 5, 2001

Hey Kiffin,

I just came across your site. I don't know how I have missed it. It has been an ongoing search of mine as well to find our name. I too was named after Kiffin Rockwell, neat.

I'm 27, live in Atlanta, GA, and a distant cousin of Kiffin's.

I've been enjoying your site, and am sure that it will be famous!

God Bless and Shalom, Kiffin

https://www.peachtreebaptist.net
[email protected]
https://www.enochs.org
[email protected]

Register:

Could you by chance also be a Kiffin named after Kiffin Yates Rockwell? If your answer is yes, then I would be very pleased to get into contact with you, if you want. Even if officially you are not aware of the origins, I would like to hear from you. Of course, I would be more than happy to add you also to this ever-growing list of proud Kiffins.