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Kendall Family History

Kendall Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from Kendal in Cumbria which takes its name from the river Kent + Old Norse dalr ‘valley’ or from the valley of the river Kent itself.

English (of Welsh origin): from an Anglicized form of the Welsh personal name Cynddelw which was borne by a famous 12th-century Welsh poet.

It probably derives from a Celtic word meaning ‘exalted high’ + delw ‘image effigy’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Kendall family from?

You can see how Kendall families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kendall family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Kendall families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 1,534 Kendall families living in Yorkshire. This was about 22% of all the recorded Kendall's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Kendall families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kendall surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Kendall ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Kendall. 9% of Kendall men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Kendall women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kendall were Farmer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Kendall | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    9%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Farmer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Kendall family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 307,000 census records available for the last name Kendall. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kendall census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Kendall

Passenger Lists

There are 36,000 immigration records available for the last name Kendall. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Kendall immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 51,000 military records available for the last name Kendall. For the veterans among your Kendall ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Kendall military records

You've only scratched the surface of Kendall family history

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What is the average Kendall lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Kendall life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Kendall in 1943 was 34, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kendall

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Kendall ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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