Kenneth Rayner (June 20, 1808 – March 5, 1884) was an American lawyer and politician who served three terms as a Whig U.S.

[1] Born in Bertie County, North Carolina, Rayner attended Tarborough Academy, then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1829.

In 1835, Rayner was a delegate to the state Constitutional Convention; he served terms in the North Carolina House of Commons in 1835 and 1836 before being elected to the U.S. Congress in 1838.

In 1871 Rayner was appointed by President Grant as one of the court commissioners to settle the Alabama Claims.

Rayner died in Washington, D.C., on March 5, 1884, and is buried in Raleigh, North Carolina.