Tribe of Kyngs was started by author Richard Paul Evans. He would meet regularly with a group of friends, often over dinner, and they would talk about their plans and aspirations. Richard realized that men often have difficulty forming and keeping such friend groups, so he formed the Tribe of Kyngs to help men make meaningful connections.

The name uses an Old English spelling of the title King to help distinguish the group. The title Kyng is based on the idea that every man is a Kyng, or ruler, over the various aspects of his life relationships: self, close family, friends, associations, and the world at large. In order for a man to have influence, or Kyngship, within a larger sphere, he must have, first, already mastered his Kyngship within the smaller spheres.