UK girl's name
Kendell
From Old English meaning "valley of the river Kent".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 1997. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Kendell is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Kendell popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 1997 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2738, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 6 births.
This profile covers 11 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 1996 to 1997. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 83% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 11 living people in the UK are called Kendell. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 1998 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Kendell ranked #2738 for girls in England and Wales in 1997, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 6 girls were registered as Kendell.
- • About 11 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kendell as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2738
1997
Births in 1997
5
Latest year
Peak year
1996
6 births
Estimated living
11
2026
Meaning
What does Kendell mean?
The name Kendell is an English variant of the name Kendall, which has its origins in the Old English language. It is derived from the words "cyne" meaning "royal" and "dæl" meaning "valley" or "dale." The name Kendall was originally a place name referring to the Valley of the King, or the Royal Valley.
In the early medieval period, the name Kendall was used to refer to various locations in England, including areas in Lancashire, Westmorland, and Yorkshire. The earliest recorded use of the name Kendall as a personal name dates back to the 12th century, where it was initially used as a surname for individuals who hailed from these areas.
One of the earliest known historical references to the name Kendall can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. In this document, the name Kendall is mentioned in relation to various landholdings and estates.
Over time, the name Kendall began to transition from being primarily a surname to also being used as a given name. One of the earliest recorded individuals to bear the name Kendall as a first name was Kendall Burnell, an English judge and statesman who lived in the 13th century (c. 1240-1315).
Another notable figure with the name Kendall was Kendall Wroot, an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge in the 15th century (c. 1400-1470).
In the 16th century, Kendall Higginson (c. 1530-1604) was an English churchman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University.
During the 17th century, Kendall Parker (c. 1610-1670) was an English lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Long Parliament.
In the 18th century, Kendall Haworth (c. 1720-1790) was an English Baptist minister and author known for his religious writings.
While the name Kendall has traditionally been more commonly used as a masculine name, in recent centuries, it has also been adopted as a feminine name, with the variant spelling Kendell becoming increasingly popular.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Kendell over time
The chart below shows babies named Kendell registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 1997. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Kendell, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 1997, compared with 6 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kendell by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kendell was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | #2544 | 11 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Kendell
- Katie 53,185
- Keira 14,411
- Katherine 11,323
- Kayleigh 10,677
- Kate 10,276
- Kelsey 7,224
- Kiera 7,218
- Kayla 6,541
- Kirsty 6,384
- Khadija 5,948
- Kimberley 5,189
- Kaitlyn 5,137
FAQ
Kendell: questions and answers
How popular is the name Kendell in the UK right now?
In 1997, Kendell was ranked #2738 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Kendell most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 6 babies registered as Kendell in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Kendell?
From Old English meaning "valley of the river Kent".
How many people are called Kendell in the UK?
A total of 11 babies have been registered as Kendell across the 2 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.