Numerous honours came Kitson's way in recognition of his work. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1918 and Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1922. In 1927 Kitson was knighted for his services to geology. The Geological Society of London elected him as a fellow in 1897, awarded him the Wollaston fund in 1918 before honouring him with the very prestigious Lyell Medal in 1927, an annual award given to an outstanding Earth Scientist. In 1929 he was appointed as President of the Geology Section of the British Association for the Advancement of Science and, following his retirement, he became President of the Geologists' Association in 1934. Kitson was an official representative of the British Government at International Geological Congresses (four times) and at World Power Conferences (four times). One of the Buchan Caves in Victoria Australia is named after him, as are a fossil mollusk, a fossil eucalypt and a living eucalypt. The Eucalyptus tree "Eucalyptus kitsoniana" (Gippsland Malee) bears his name, as does the lizard "Panaspis kitsoni" (sometimes considered a synonym of "Panaspis togoensis"). Kitson Avenue in Takoradi in modern-day Ghana is named in his honour as is Kitson Court in Benalla, Victoria, Australia and Kitson Place in the Florey suburb of Canberra, Australia.