Kendal History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Etymology of Kendal

The illustrious surname Kendal finds its origin in the rocky, sea swept coastal area of southwestern England known as Cornwall. Although surnames were fairly widespread in medieval England, people were originally known only by a single name. The process by which hereditary surnames were adopted is extremely interesting. As populations grew, people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Lords and their tenants often became known by the name of the feudal territory they owned or lived on. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. This was due to the heavy political and cultural influence of the English upon the Cornish People at the time that surnames first came into use. Local surnames were derived from where a person lived, held land, or was born. While many Cornish surnames of this sort appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames derived from lost or unrecorded place names. The name Kendal is a local type of surname and the Kendal family lived in Treworgy in Duloe. The parish of Kendall in Westmorland was home to many of the family. "On the east bank of the river are the ruins of a castle, the baronial seat of the lords of Kendal, and the birthplace of Catherine Parr, the last queen of Henry VIII." 1 "The manufacture of 'Kendal green' made this town early famous, and of necessity caused the surname to be common." 2 3 However, another source disagrees with these sources. "The general opinion seems to be that this family is of different origin from that of the Kendalls of Westmorland, whose name is derived from Kirby-in-Kendale. Kendall signifies to see or behold the dale or valley; otherwise Kendall or Cendall is fine linen; and Cendale may be a corruption of Pendall, i. e. the head of the valley." 4

Early Origins of the Kendal family

Early History of the Kendal family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kendal research. Another 240 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1539, 1577, 1588, 1625, 1640, 1643, 1647, 1686, 1690, 1694, 1696 and 1708 are included under the topic Early Kendal History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kendal Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Kendall, Kendal, Kendel, Kendell, Kendale and others.

Early Notables of the Kendal family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

• Nicholas Kendall (c. 1577-1643), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1625 and 1640 killed in action fighting on the Royalist side in the English Civil War