Surname Kendal - Meaning and Origin
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Kendal: What does the surname Kendal mean?
Kendal is an English surname derived from a place name. It has its origins in the town of Kendal, located in Cumbria, North West England. The name Kendal means "valley on the river Kent" and is comprised of two Old Norse words: 'kent' which is a river name and 'dalr' meaning valley. The town, which predates the Norman conquest, was originally spelt as 'Kirkby Kendal' or 'Kirkby in Kendal', translating as 'village with a church in the valley on the river Kent'. The name's transition from a place name to a last name likely occurred when families began to move from Kendal and took the name of their former residence as a means to identify themselves. Thus, the last name Kendal may suggest a familial legacy or ancestral tie to the historical town of Kendal in England. Individuals with the surname Kendal might trace their heritage back to this area.
Order DNA origin analysisKendal: Where does the name Kendal come from?
The last name Kendal is of Anglo-Saxon origin from England. It is derived from the Old Norse 'keld' and 'dalr', which means 'spring' and 'valley' respectively. The name was traditionally used for those who lived in or near the town of Kendal in Cumbria.
It is believed the town's name (Kendal) was first recorded in the 12th century as 'Kirkby Kendal' or 'Kirkby in Kendal', referring to 'Kirkby' as 'church town' and 'Kendal' as 'Valley of the River Kent'.
As English surname practices spread, people moving from Kendal might have adopted the town’s name as a surname to show where they were from, especially when they settled in new areas.
Today, the surname Kendal is common in England, and can also be found in the United States, Australia, Canada, and South Africa. However, compared to other surnames, it is distinctly less common. According to Forebears, a site that extensively studies genealogy, the Kendal surname is most prevalent in England, with highest density in North East Lincolnshire.
Variations of the surname Kendal
The surname Kendal has a variety of spellings and variants owing to its geographical origins and the historically phonetic nature of spelling. Some of these variants include Kendell, Kendel, Kindle, Kindell, and Kyndell. Kendale is also a less common variation.
The name has its origins in the town of Kendal in Cumbria, North West England. It's an Anglo-Scottish border surname, with instances found in Scotland under the spelling Kendell or Kendal.
People may have this surname due to either a geographical connection to the town or as a transferred use of the given name Kendal, originally bestowed in honour of the town.
A surname which may be of the same root is Kendall, a variant spelling of Kendal, predominantly found in the US. Other variant spellings common in the US include the more feminized Kendell and Kendelle.
However, remember that people with these surnames may not necessarily be related, as surnames were often given based on a person's place of residence, occupation or father's name. Many people from the town of Kendal could have spread the surname in various spellings.
Famous people with the name Kendal
- Walter Kendal: Walter Albert Kendal (1848-1935), was a British actor born in Richmond, London. He was best known for his appearances in comedies and character roles in the silent era.
- John Kendal: John Kendal (1848–1917) was a British actor and manager, the younger brother of Walter. He performed in nearly one hundred roles throughout his career, most notably in Love's Labour's Lost and Macbeth.
- Charles Kendal Buswell: Charles Kendal Buswell (1867–1946) was an American stage and screen actor, known for his work in silent films. He starred in films like The Avalanche (1920) and The Penalty (1920).
- Constance Kendal: Constance Marie Kendal (1861-1948) was a British stage actress. She was born in London and her father was George F. Kendal, celebrated for managing his own theatre company.
- Margot Kendal: Margot Louisa Kendal (1876-1945) was an English stage and silent film actress. She was the daughter of George and Ellen Kendal, sister of Walter and John Kendal, and wife of actor Maurice Warner.
- Henrietta Kendal-Culverwell: Henrietta Kendal-Culverwell (1865–1926) was one of the best-known British actors and theatre managers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. She served as the manager of the Kendal's Royal Court Theatre in London.