Find out how popular the last name Kendall is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kendall.

Kendall, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Kendall surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kendall in America

Kendall is the 1126th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kendall surname appeared 31,209 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Kendall.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kendall to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Kendall

The surname Kendall has its origins in the ancient region of Cumbria, located in the northwest of England. It is derived from the Old English words "cyne" meaning royal or kingly, and "dell" meaning a valley. The name therefore translates to "the royal valley."

The earliest recorded reference to the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Kenedalle." This historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a survey of landholdings and populations across England.

The name Kendall has strong ties to the town of Kendal, located in the Lake District region of Cumbria. This town was once a thriving center for the wool trade, and the Kendall family was prominent in this industry. In the 13th century, the Kendale Barony was established, encompassing much of the surrounding area.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Kendall was Richard de Kendall, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Westmorland in 1212. Another notable figure was William Kendall, a merchant from Kendal who served as the mayor of the town in the late 15th century.

As the name spread beyond its original geographic region, variations in spelling emerged, such as Kendale, Kendal, and Kendale. The Kendall family also established itself in other parts of England, including Yorkshire and Lancashire.

In the 16th century, the renowned English poet and playwright Thomas Kendall (1548-1609) was born in Yorkshire. He is best known for his work "Flowers of Epigrammes," published in 1577.

Another notable individual with the Kendall surname was Miles Kendall (1570-1624), a captain in the British East India Company. He is credited with establishing the first English settlement in India, at Surat, in 1612.

In the 18th century, John Kendall (1726-1815) was a prominent English architect who designed numerous buildings, including the Grecian Hall in Chiswick, London.

George Wilkins Kendall (1809-1867), an American journalist and author, is known for his writings on the Texas Revolution and the Mexican-American War. He served as a war correspondent and published several books, including "Narrative of the Texan Santa Fe Expedition."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kendall

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kendall.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kendall was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Kendall has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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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