Kendall first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Kendall has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Kendall

Valley in the Kent region of England.

Popularity of Kendall by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Kendall is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 73% of people named Kendall being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 978 female babies and 163 male babies born with the name Kendall.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 163 978
2022 207 1,056
2021 185 1,043
2020 188 1,017
2019 198 1,214
2018 249 1,213
2017 254 1,398
2016 229 1,703
2015 300 2,198
2014 311 2,441
2013 376 2,516
2012 371 2,625
2011 409 2,595
2010 423 2,342
2009 435 2,414
2008 385 2,309
2007 477 2,165
2006 443 2,324
2005 471 2,457
2004 485 2,360
2003 493 2,183
2002 524 1,643
2001 578 1,524
2000 733 1,651
1999 626 1,442
1998 697 1,644
1997 703 1,559
1996 676 1,468
1995 720 1,547
1994 949 1,648
1993 965 1,270
1992 787 746
1991 843 667
1990 868 642
1989 688 624
1988 665 572
1987 540 702
1986 511 509
1985 466 447
1984 429 472
1983 359 247
1982 364 278
1981 365 196
1980 370 191
1979 354 97
1978 335 113
1977 250 81
1976 280 72
1975 297 70
1974 346 98

The history of the first name Kendall

The given name Kendall has its origins in the Old English language, deriving from the words "cyne" meaning "royal" and "dæl" meaning "valley". It was originally a surname referring to a person who lived in the royal valley or a valley belonging to the king.

During the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, which lasted from the 5th to the 11th centuries, the name was used as a locational surname. It referred to people who resided in the valley owned by the monarch or in a royal valley under the king's jurisdiction.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Kendall can be traced back to the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landholdings and resources in England, compiled in 1086 on the orders of William the Conqueror. It mentions several individuals with the surname Kendall, indicating its use as a locational name during that time.

One of the earliest known individuals with the given name Kendall was Kendall Wroot, an English landowner and knight who lived in the late 13th century. He was a prominent figure in Lincolnshire and served as a member of parliament for the county.

Another notable figure was Kendall Greenwood, a 16th-century English merchant and explorer. He was part of an expedition to the West Indies in the 1560s and helped establish trade routes between England and the Caribbean.

In the 17th century, Kendall Harding was a well-known English playwright and poet. He wrote several popular plays and poems during the Jacobean era, including "The Merry Wives of Windsor" and "The Taming of the Shrew".

During the American Revolutionary War, Kendall Cooley was a patriot and soldier who fought in the Continental Army. He participated in several major battles, including the Battle of Monmouth and the Battle of Yorktown.

In the 19th century, Kendall Jenner was a renowned American artist and painter. He is best known for his landscape paintings of the American West and his depictions of Native American life and culture.

Over time, the name Kendall transitioned from being used primarily as a surname to becoming a popular given name for both males and females. Its meaning and association with royalty and nobility have contributed to its enduring appeal as a first name.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Kendall was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kendall, please contact us.

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"Kendall first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/kendall-meaning-and-history/.

"Kendall first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/kendall-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Kendall first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/kendall-meaning-and-history/.

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