The first name Kendal
A unisex name from English meaning “valley of the river kent”.
Pronounced /ˈkɛndəl/ 2 syllables Unisex
Meaning and origin
English origin
Kendal means “valley of the river kent” in English.
From Old English Cent + dæl = "valley of the river Kent".
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 9 girls were named Kendal, making it the 2,788th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 26 births (#848).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Kendal with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Kendal at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 48 girls born in the United States were named Kendal, the 3,276th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2004, when 565 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Kendal
1 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- RedfooAmerican singer and rapper (born 1975)
More English unisex names
Questions
- What does the name Kendal mean?
- Kendal means “valley of the river kent” in English.
- What is the origin of the name Kendal?
- From Old English Cent + dæl = "valley of the river Kent".
- How popular is the name Kendal?
- In 2025, 9 girls born in England and Wales were named Kendal, ranking 2,788th. Its peak was 1996, with 26 births.
- Is Kendal a boy's or a girl's name?
- Both. Of the 13,800 US babies named Kendal since 1880, 66% were girls and 34% boys.
- When was Kendal most popular?
- 2004 in the United States, when 565 babies were named Kendal, its highest rank at 513th.
- How do you pronounce Kendal?
- Kendal is /ˈkɛndəl/, 2 syllables.