Kendall
Kendall was the 328th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 932 babies. Its best year was 2012, when it ranked 116th with 2,625 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 181 places. More babies were named Kendall in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning valley of the river Kent (Kendal) · English, Old Norse
Say it KEN-dul /ˈkɛndəl/
- Rank in 2025
- #328 girls, down 14 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 932girls
- Girls and boys
- 85% girls, 15% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20122,625 babies
- Total since 1880
- 101,883babies recorded
What does the name Kendall mean?
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)
Nicknames for Kendall
The usual nicknames for Kendall are Kenny.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenny · also for Kenneth, Kendrick, Ken | Modern | #14,076 | 37 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Kendalls go by each one.
Kendall popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #328 | #1,232 | 932 | 163 |
| 2020 | #314 | #1,066 | 1,019 | 188 |
| 2010 | #133 | #592 | 2,343 | 423 |
| 2000 | #191 | #360 | 1,651 | 733 |
| 1990 | #407 | #290 | 642 | 868 |
| 1980 | #827 | #426 | 190 | 370 |
| 1970 | #1,079 | #387 | 112 | 433 |
| 1960 | #1,035 | #374 | 109 | 448 |
| 1950 | #2,975 | #538 | 13 | 160 |
| 1940 | #4,710 | #566 | 5 | 110 |
| 1930 | — | #788 | — | 67 |
| 1920 | — | #891 | — | 60 |
| 1910 | — | #1,013 | — | 11 |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Kendall, counting every spelling?
Kendall is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #335 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #328 for Kendall 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 Kendall?
932 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kendall (0.26 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Kendall 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 9 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kendall.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kendall?
About 65,500 people born in the US named Kendall are alive today, with a median age of 19; half are between 13 and 28. That makes Kendall 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.
Kendall by state
How common Kendall was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in West Virginia (3.0×), Delaware (2.9×), Nebraska (2.0×), Michigan (1.9×), Ohio (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in California, District of Columbia, South Dakota.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Kendall: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kendall, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Kendall · Sibling names for Kendall
Questions about the name Kendall
What does Kendall mean?
Kendall means “valley of the river Kent (Kendal)” (English, Old Norse origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Kendall?
Kendall was the 328th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 932 babies. Its best year was 2012, when it ranked 116th with 2,625 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 181 places. More babies were named Kendall in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Kendall a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 85% girls, 15% boys given the name Kendall in the US.
Where is Kendall most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kendall was most common in West Virginia (1.87 per 1,000 girls), followed by Delaware and Nebraska.