NameCensus.

UK surname

Kendall

From the Old English "cyne" and "dæl," meaning "royal valley" or "the bright valley."

In the 1881 census there were 6,453 people recorded with the Kendall surname, ranking it #658 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,931, ranked #648, up from #658 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Calverley, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Barrow-in-Furness and Bromsgrove.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kendall is 10,346 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.9%.

1881 census count

6,453

Ranked #658

Modern count

9,931

2016, ranked #648

Peak year

1999

10,346 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kendall had 6,453 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #658 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,931 in 2016, ranked #648.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 9,774 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Kendall surname distribution map

The map shows where the Kendall surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Kendall surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kendall over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 3,494 #813
1861 historical 3,412 #828
1881 historical 6,453 #658
1891 historical 6,787 #673
1901 historical 8,590 #618
1911 historical 9,774 #505
1997 modern 9,938 #627
1998 modern 10,219 #632
1999 modern 10,346 #629
2000 modern 10,260 #629
2001 modern 10,016 #633
2002 modern 10,289 #628
2003 modern 9,957 #635
2004 modern 9,835 #645
2005 modern 9,671 #648
2006 modern 9,640 #652
2007 modern 9,706 #649
2008 modern 9,710 #654
2009 modern 9,962 #653
2010 modern 10,180 #648
2011 modern 10,000 #652
2012 modern 9,873 #648
2013 modern 10,059 #649
2014 modern 10,082 #651
2015 modern 9,940 #652
2016 modern 9,931 #648

Geography

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Where Kendalls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Calverley, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Dalton-in-Furness. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Barrow-in-Furness and Bromsgrove. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Calverley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 041 Cornwall
2 Barrow-in-Furness 010 Barrow-in-Furness
3 Barrow-in-Furness 007 Barrow-in-Furness
4 Bromsgrove 013 Bromsgrove
5 Barrow-in-Furness 008 Barrow-in-Furness

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kendall

These lists show first names that appear often with the Kendall surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kendall

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Kendall, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Kendall surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Kendall household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Kendall is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kendall is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kendall falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kendall is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Kendall, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of 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."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kendall families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kendall surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 1,438 Kendalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.31x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,438 2.31x
Lancashire 744 1.00x
Middlesex 695 1.11x
Cornwall 325 4.56x
Gloucestershire 322 2.61x
Surrey 284 0.93x
Cumberland 278 5.13x
Warwickshire 240 1.51x
Lincolnshire 209 2.08x
Staffordshire 152 0.72x
Devon 151 1.15x
Essex 147 1.18x
Northamptonshire 124 2.10x
Dorset 116 2.81x
Kent 103 0.48x
Worcestershire 103 1.25x
Hampshire 102 0.79x
Cheshire 96 0.69x
Leicestershire 89 1.28x
Nottinghamshire 79 0.93x
Norfolk 73 0.75x
Durham 64 0.34x
Bedfordshire 63 1.93x
Monmouthshire 53 1.17x
Derbyshire 47 0.48x
Glamorgan 43 0.39x
Suffolk 35 0.46x
Hertfordshire 34 0.78x
Somerset 34 0.34x
Berkshire 26 0.55x
Westmorland 26 1.88x
Sussex 24 0.23x
Northumberland 22 0.24x
Wiltshire 19 0.34x
Shropshire 12 0.22x
Midlothian 10 0.12x
East Lothian 9 1.08x
Oxfordshire 9 0.23x
Cambridgeshire 8 0.20x
Royal Navy 6 0.80x
Carmarthenshire 5 0.19x
Denbighshire 4 0.17x
Dumfriesshire 4 0.29x
Angus 3 0.05x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.08x
Isle of Man 3 0.26x
Lanarkshire 3 0.01x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.08x
Orkney 2 0.29x
Herefordshire 1 0.04x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.07x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.05x
Perthshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barrow In Furness in Lancashire leads with 123 Kendalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.12x.

Place Total Index
Barrow In Furness 123 12.12x
Hackney London 104 2.95x
Shipley 82 25.35x
Leeds 77 2.19x
Aston 74 1.69x
Birmingham 69 1.31x
Islington London 66 1.08x
Idle 65 22.49x
Lambeth 55 1.00x
Mile End Old Town London 55 4.11x
Camberwell 52 1.29x
Bromsgrove 48 17.37x
Mangotsfield 48 39.04x
St Pancras London 47 0.93x
Liverpool 46 1.01x
West Derby 45 2.06x
Stoke Damerel 44 4.80x
Kensington London 39 1.12x
Sible Hedingham 36 86.79x
Battersea 35 1.51x
Doncaster 35 7.69x
Camborne 34 11.59x
Stapleton 34 14.53x
Whitehaven 34 11.78x
Plymouth St Andrew 33 3.27x
Horsforth 32 23.42x
Marnhull 32 106.49x
Nottingham St Mary 31 1.41x
Paddington London 31 1.34x
Ulverston 31 14.26x
York St Mary 31 12.01x
Clerkenwell London 30 2.02x
Walsall Foreign 30 2.74x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 29 12.85x
Horton In Bradford 28 2.88x
Croydon 27 1.59x
Halifax 27 2.95x
Nesfield Cum Langbar 26 682.41x
Poplar London 25 2.11x
Shoreditch London 25 0.92x
Workington 25 8.06x
Mevagissey 24 50.72x
Salford 24 1.09x
Great Clifton 23 109.68x
St George Hanover Square 23 2.08x
Clifton 22 3.53x
Coventry St Michael 22 4.32x
Crosscanonby 22 12.29x
Headingley Cum Burley 22 5.48x
Tamworth 22 19.38x
Trevethin 22 5.12x
West Ham 22 0.80x
Kirkby Ireleth 21 56.42x
Manningham 21 2.74x
Westminster St John 21 2.74x
Bradford 20 1.33x
Huddersfield 20 2.20x
Kenwyn 20 10.74x
Kettering 20 8.36x
Reeth 20 129.79x
Southampton St Mary 20 2.47x
Southwark St George Martyr 20 1.58x
Bitton 19 17.70x
Great Grimsby 19 2.98x
Henbury 19 31.57x
Linton Upon Ouse 19 297.34x
Pendleton In Salford 19 2.14x
Preston 19 0.95x
Brightside Bierlow 18 1.47x
Liskeard 18 15.11x
Northowram 18 4.12x
Skipton 18 9.18x
Tottenham 18 1.80x
Baildon 17 14.49x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 17 7.98x
Clitheroe 17 7.74x
Dalton In Furness 17 5.90x
East Rudham 17 99.59x
Northampton Priory St 17 4.79x
Sculcoates 17 1.72x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Kendall surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 466
Sarah 246
Elizabeth 223
Jane 126
Ann 115
Annie 102
Emma 95
Hannah 92
Eliza 91
Alice 86
Ellen 66
Emily 63
Margaret 62
Martha 55
Fanny 50
Maria 50
Louisa 49
Florence 44
Edith 39
Agnes 37
Ada 35
Caroline 35
Harriet 33
Kate 33
Isabella 30
Clara 28
Catherine 27
Charlotte 26
Lucy 25
Amelia 23
Anne 21
Elizth. 21
Frances 21
Harriett 21
Rose 20
Susan 19
Minnie 18
Amy 17
Rebecca 17
Julia 16
Esther 15
Susannah 15
Ethel 14
Laura 13
Selina 13
Sophia 13
Grace 12
Lizzie 12
Ruth 12
Bessie 11

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Kendall surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 409
John 376
Thomas 217
George 210
James 184
Charles 139
Henry 122
Joseph 120
Robert 95
Richard 88
Arthur 65
Edward 63
Samuel 57
Alfred 51
Walter 39
Harry 38
Frederick 37
Francis 36
Albert 35
Edwin 24
Frank 22
Herbert 22
Benjamin 20
Ernest 20
Fred 18
Wm. 18
Mark 16
Tom 16
Thos. 14
David 13
Peter 13
Isaac 12
Percy 12
Edmund 11
Joshua 11
Harold 10
Stephen 10
Fredrick 8
Geo. 8
Nicholas 8
Chas. 7
Christopher 6
Jno. 6
Sidney 6
Sydney 6
Willie 6
Abraham 5
Adam 5
Bernard 5
Philip 5

FAQ

Kendall surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kendall surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,453 people were recorded with the Kendall surname. That placed it at #658 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kendall surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,931 in 2016. That gives Kendall a modern rank of #648.

What does the Kendall surname mean?

From the Old English "cyne" and "dæl," meaning "royal valley" or "the bright valley."

What does the Kendall map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Kendall bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.