Kendal
Kendal was the 3276th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 48 babies. Its best year was 2004, when it ranked 513th with 565 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 2,014 places. More babies were named Kendal in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Kendall) valley of the river Kent (Kendal) · English, Old Norse
- Rank in 2025
- #3,276 girls, down 913 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 48girls
- Girls and boys
- 68% girls, 32% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2004565 babies
- Total since 1880
- 13,800babies recorded
What does the name Kendal mean?
Kendal is a spelling of Kendall, pronounced the same way, so it shares Kendall's meaning and origin.
Kendall is an English surname from Kendal in Cumbria (formerly Westmorland), "the valley of the river Kent", where dale means valley. Bardsley notes that Kendal was early famous for its woolen cloth, Kendal green, which helped spread the surname. Wiktionary also notes a separate Kendale in Yorkshire, from Old Norse kelda, "spring", and dalr, "valley".
Kent (Celtic river name, “river Kent (meaning uncertain)”)dalr (Old Norse, “valley”)
How sure is this? Probable. Two places named Kendal(e) have different first elements.
Related names: Kendal, Kenna, Kenzie.
See also: English names, names that mean meadow, hill or valley, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kendall', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (1901), s.v. 'Kendal', Henry Frowde (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
Kendal popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,276 | #7,010 | 48 | 12 |
| 2020 | #2,363 | #3,003 | 75 | 39 |
| 2010 | #887 | #1,620 | 299 | 97 |
| 2000 | #1,009 | #1,348 | 210 | 95 |
| 1990 | #1,359 | #888 | 117 | 135 |
| 1980 | #2,561 | #1,333 | 37 | 50 |
| 1970 | #2,254 | #1,187 | 35 | 49 |
| 1960 | #3,151 | #1,280 | 16 | 38 |
| 1950 | — | #1,726 | — | 19 |
| 1940 | — | #2,581 | — | 9 |
| 1930 | — | #3,160 | — | 8 |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Kendal, counting every spelling?
Kendal is a spelling of Kendall, a name family that ranked #335 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #3,276 for Kendal on its own. Together these spellings went to 980 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kendall | 932 | #328 | 5,009 |
| Kendal | 48 | #3,276 | 280 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Kendal?
48 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kendal (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Kendal born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 175 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kendal.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kendal?
About 9,000 people born in the US named Kendal are alive today, with a median age of 22; half are between 16 and 31. That makes Kendal mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Kendal by state
How common Kendal was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 46 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Kendal: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kendal, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Kendal
What does Kendal mean?
Kendal is a spelling of Kendall, which means “valley of the river Kent (Kendal)” (English, Old Norse origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Kendal?
Kendal was the 3276th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 48 babies. Its best year was 2004, when it ranked 513th with 565 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 2,014 places. More babies were named Kendal in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Kendal a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 68% girls, 32% boys given the name Kendal in the US.
Where is Kendal most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kendal was most common in Pennsylvania (0.05 per 1,000 girls), followed by North Carolina and Texas.