Kentucky Colonels List

The Kentucky Colonel Lists © — Historic Records, Civic Recognition, Social Change, A Living Legacy in Title

The Kentucky Colonel lists have been cross-referenced and expanded into five historically verified categories to reflect the full legacy of the title Kentucky Colonel, from its origins in 1775 through today. Our goal is to accommodate the top 1% of all the Kentucky colonels (up to approximately 5,000〜6,000). Publicly, list users can nominate and suggest new entries based on submission of evidence of the subject, including themselves.

Official Curated List of Real Kentucky Colonels

Due to personal privacy laws we cannot publish the entire list of persons that have been named a Kentucky Colonel, despite the honor being awarded under the auspices of a legal public act. Another fact is there have been over 500,000 commissions made since 1925 according to KDLA. (Only the State of Kentucky can make all these names publicly accessible.) So to be listed here a person needs to either request to be listed (register) or they need to do something in the public realm that recognizes them as a Kentucky Colonel, or in some cases both.

This section does reflect Kentucky colonels that we discover in the news media, in the social media, officers that have shown their commissions to us and have requested to be included on the official list(s).

If you are a researcher, the state records can be visited and accessed in the State Capitol in Frankfort in person. Neither the Governor's Office or the Secretary of State will confirm who is or who is not a Kentucky Colonel, they do not maintain a database of all that have been granted the award, except for the current administration. The best place to begin your search (in person) is at the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives (KDLA) in Frankfort.

Add Your Own Name as a Kentucky Colonel or Nominate Another to the Official Kentucky Colonel Registry™

Get a name listed, by adding your name to the Kentucky Colonel Registry you are stepping forward consensually with the acknowledgment of the honorable duty of claiming the office of the Kentucky colonelcy. The "office" refers to the "official" actions, duties, and projects performed by Kentucky Colonels, that are possible based on the Governor providing the "rights, privileges, and responsibilities" appertaining. In essence the governor within Kentucky has granted you the ability to do anything at all that is not unlawful in the state, that should not require any Federal oversight. In essence the Kentucky Governor has acknowledged the person to have all the qualities of other Kentucky Colonels.

All those who register are provided with a personal account in the Colonels Network (@colonels.net) which includes the domains [kycolonelcy.org] for International Members and [kycolonelcy.us] for those located in the US.

If you are looking to confirm the status of a living Kentucky Colonel, request a Colonel for a public appearance, or verify your own recognition, please consult the Official Kentucky Colonel Registry (List).

For those searching for famous Kentucky Colonels, public figures, or historical personalities who received the title, explore our curated Historic Colonels List and Celebrity Colonels List, featuring names published in official records and newspaper archives. If you are looking for a deceased Kentucky Colonel relative or wish to submit an obituary to honor their legacy, visit the Kentucky Colonels In Memoriam page. These public-facing lists preserve and protect the true meaning of the Kentucky Colonel title, correcting historical myths and ensuring long-term cultural recognition.

Add Your Own Name as a Kentucky Colonel or Nominate Another to the Official Kentucky Colonel Registry™

A

Col. Eddie "Rochester" Anderson

B

D

E

F

G

H

I

Christian Ingebrigtsen

J

K

L

N

O

P

Q

Lubna Khalid Al Qasimi

R

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

Irene M. Zoppi

Disclaimer: This list is based on the original list of Kentucky Colonels that were on Wikipedia in 2020-2022. Requests to be added to the list of Kentucky colonels are now handled by members working on the Kentucky Colonels Handbook. This list is more representative of the type and style of list that will be displayed.