2000
#23,514
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,007
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.37
Rare Last name
Kendle
An English surname derived from an Old English place name meaning "valley of the bright stream".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,282 Americans carry the last name Kendle. That puts it at #23,439 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 267,359 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kendle surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Kendle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.3K
1 in 267,359
Census rank
#23,439
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,118 bearers of the surname Kendle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 23439th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kendle, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Black (16.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kendle
The surname Kendle is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "cyndel," meaning "candle" or "torch." The name likely referred to an occupation or trade, suggesting that early bearers of the name may have been involved in the production or selling of candles.
The earliest recorded instances of the Kendle surname can be traced back to the 13th century. In the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, there is a mention of a person named William Kyndel. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.
In the 14th century, the Kendle surname appeared in various historical documents, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which recorded a John Kyndel. The name was also found in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, where a Thomas Kyndyll was listed.
One notable early bearer of the Kendle surname was William Kendale, who served as a member of the Parliament of England in 1391, representing Gloucestershire. This historical reference suggests that the Kendle family may have held some social standing or influence during that time.
As the name spread across England, it became associated with various place names, such as Kendle in Cheshire and Kendal in Cumbria. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
Among the notable individuals with the Kendle surname throughout history are:
1. John Kendle (c. 1570-1627), an English clergyman and author known for his work "The Expositions of the Prophecies of Habakkuk and Zephaniah."
2. Robert Kendle (1655-1718), an English mathematician and astronomer who contributed to the development of the Gregorian calendar.
3. Elizabeth Kendle (1710-1784), a British philanthropist and advocate for women's education, who founded several schools in London.
4. William Kendle (1789-1862), a British explorer and naturalist who traveled extensively through Africa and documented numerous plant and animal species.
5. Samuel Kendle (1835-1903), an English industrialist and inventor who patented several innovations in textile manufacturing.
While the Kendle surname may not be as prevalent today as it once was, its rich history and origins in medieval England serve as a testament to the diverse tapestry of surnames that have shaped the cultural landscape over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kendle
Among Census respondents with the surname Kendle, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Black (16.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kendle bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Kendle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.0% · 839
- Black or African American16.5% · 185
- Two or more races3.1% · 35
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 31
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.1% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kendle
Kendle appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#25,255
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 981
-26 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Down 1,741 places
2020
#23,439
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,118
+137 bearers (+14.0%)
Per 100,000 0.37
Rank movement Up 1,816 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,514 | 1,007 | 0.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #25,255 | 981 | 0.33 | -26 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 1,741 places |
| 2020 | #23,439 | 1,118 | 0.37 | +137 bearers (+14.0%) | Up 1,816 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Kendle surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #25,255 | #23,439 | 7.2% |
| Count | 981 | 1,118 | 14.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.33 | 0.37 | 13.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kendle bearers went from 981 to 1,118 (+14.0% change). The surname moved up 1,816 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,255 to #23,439.
FAQ
Kendle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kendle?
Name Census estimates that about 1,282 living Americans carry the surname Kendle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 267,359 residents.
How common is Kendle?
Kendle ranks #23,439 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.37 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,118 people with the surname Kendle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,282), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.37 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Kendle.
Has Kendle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kendle went from 981 recorded bearers to 1,118. That is an increase of 137 (+14.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #25,255 to #23,439.
What does the Census say about the background of Kendle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kendle, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Black (16.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kendle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.0% (839 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kendle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.0%), Black (16.5%), Two or More Races (3.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Kendle (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Kendle mean?
An English surname derived from an Old English place name meaning "valley of the bright stream". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Kendle (0.37 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Kendle?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Kendle at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.