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.

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.

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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