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Kendall Family History

Kendall Name 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: Tindall, Rendall, Rendahl, Dowdall, Cundall, Sandall, Kelsall

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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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 1840 there were 185 Kendall families living in Massachusetts. This was about 26% of all the recorded Kendall's in USA. Massachusetts had the highest population of Kendall families in 1840.
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.

What did your Kendall ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Kendall. 14% of Kendall men worked as a Farmer and 8% of Kendall women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kendall were Clerk and Housekeeper. .

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 1940

  • Farmer
    14%
  • Laborer
    13%
  • Salesman
    7%
  • Clerk
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    8%
  • Stenographer
    7%
  • Teacher
    7%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

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 US 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 USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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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.

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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

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