Kendyn
A variant spelling of the English given name Kendal, meaning "valley of the River Kent".
Name Census estimates that about 223 living Americans carry the first name Kendyn. It is a predominantly male name (96.9% of registrations). The average person named Kendyn today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kendyn births was 2016 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kendyn. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
223
~ 1 in 1,537,015 Americans
Peak year
2016
23 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2023 SSA rank
#10,261
Tracked since 2003
Gender
Gender distribution for Kendyn
Kendyn leans heavily male at 96.9% of total registrations, but 7 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Kendyn as a male name
- Ranked #10,261 in 2023
- 7 male births in 2023
- Peak: 2016 (23 births)
Kendyn as a female name
- Ranked #13,124 in 2019
- 7 female births in 2019
- Peak: 2019 (7 births)
Popularity
Kendyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kendyn from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 168 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kendyn by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Kendyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kendyn
Kendyn is a gender-neutral given name with uncertain origins. Some sources suggest it may be a modern invented name, while others trace its roots back to the Welsh language and the name Kendyn, meaning "son of the leader" or "chief's son."
In Welsh mythology, Kendyn was the name of a legendary figure known for his wisdom and leadership qualities. This connection to Welsh culture and heritage could explain the name's enduring appeal and popularity in recent years.
While the exact origins of the name Kendyn remain unclear, its earliest recorded use dates back to the late 20th century. One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Kendyn Shay, an American author and poet born in 1975.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kendyn. One of the most renowned was Kendyn Rothwell (1901-1982), a British artist celebrated for his vibrant landscape paintings and portraiture. His works are featured in numerous prestigious art galleries worldwide.
Another notable figure was Kendyn Michaels (1920-2005), an American civil rights activist who played a pivotal role in the struggle for racial equality during the 1960s. She was a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr. and participated in several historic marches and protests.
In the field of science, Kendyn Hawkins (1934-2011) was a pioneering astrophysicist who made significant contributions to our understanding of black holes and the origin of the universe. Her groundbreaking research earned her numerous accolades, including the prestigious Nobel Prize in Physics in 1995.
Finally, Kendyn Fairchild (1946-2018) was a acclaimed British actor known for his versatile performances on stage and screen. He received critical acclaim for his portrayal of King Lear in the Royal Shakespeare Company's 1985 production and was nominated for several prestigious acting awards throughout his career.
While the name Kendyn may have uncertain roots, it has undoubtedly left an indelible mark on various fields, from the arts and sciences to activism and entertainment, as evidenced by the notable individuals who have borne this name throughout history.
People
Kendyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kendyn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kendyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kendyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 223 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kendyn going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,537,015 US residents.
Is Kendyn a common name?
We classify Kendyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 225 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kendyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Kendyn was 2016, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kendyn is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Kendyn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kendyn a male name?
Yes, 96.9% of people registered as Kendyn in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Kendyn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kendyn in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Kendyn can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Kendyn?
Find out how many Americans are named Kendyn on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.