unisex name · in the US
Kendall
KEN-dul (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Unisex (US)
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 105,612
the United States
#329
2025 births
Kendall means the valley of the River Kent, and Scotland ranks it 309th — above the United States at 329th, which is unusual for a name whose modern use is almost entirely American. It peaked in 2011, and holds 105,612 lifetime births.
- Kendall is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2011, when 3,004 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 3,028 babies in the United States is given this name.
- Kendall started out as a boys' name and is now given almost entirely to girls.
- First appears in US birth records in 1906.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Kendall Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 19 |
| 1910s | 355 |
| 1920s | 659 |
| 1930s | 800 |
| 1940s | 1,421 |
| 1950s | 2,920 |
| 1960s | 5,243 |
| 1970s | 4,469 |
| 1980s | 8,992 |
| 1990s | 20,469 |
| 2000s | 26,058 |
| 2010s | 23,379 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 7,099 |
What Kendall Means
Kendall means the valley of the Kent, an English river. The place name joins the river's own name to dale, a valley, so it locates a settlement rather than describing it.
Where Kendall Comes From
Kendall is Kendal in Cumbria, named as the dale of the River Kent — the river's name being Celtic and of uncertain meaning. The valley-of-the-kings reading sometimes offered is a folk etymology built on the modern spelling. Kendal was a wool town, and Kendal Green was a coarse cloth Shakespeare mentions in Henry IV. As a given name it is late twentieth-century American and roughly two-thirds female on record.
Kendall in Use
Kendall peaked in the United States in 2011, when 3,004 babies were registered, and is falling. It now ranks 309th in Scotland on 12 births, 329th in the United States on 1,095, 529th in Ireland on 7, 1,157th in England and Wales on 29 and 6,805th in France, across 105,612 lifetime births in six markets. About 66 percent of recorded births are female.
How Popular Is Kendall?
In 2025, Kendall was given to 1,095 babies in the United States, ranking #329 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Kendall Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Kendall
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Kendall Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Kendall over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Boys' or Girls' Name?
Kendall is used differently depending on where you are. Each figure is the share of babies given the name who were girls, over the last ten years of that country's records.
- United States Both 85% girls · 13,564 babies
- Canada Girls' 95% girls · 596 babies
- England & Wales Girls' 99% girls · 458 babies
- France Both 69% girls · 175 babies
- Scotland Girls' 100% girls · 96 babies
How to Say Kendall
- English KEN-dul /ˈkɛn.dəl/
2 nicknames for Kendall
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Kendall in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling Names for Kendall
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Kendall — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Kendall
What does the name Kendall mean?
The valley of the River Kent, in Cumbria.
Does Kendall mean valley of the kings?
No — that is a folk etymology built on the modern spelling. The Kent is a river.
Is Kendall a boys' or girls' name?
About 66 percent of recorded births are female.
Where is Kendall most used?
Scotland at 309th, just above the United States at 329th.
How popular is the name Kendall?
In 2025, Kendall was given to 1,095 babies in the United States, ranking #329 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
How many syllables are in Kendall?
Kendall has 2 syllables.
When was Kendall most popular?
Kendall peaked in 2011, when 3,004 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Kendall?
Kendall is usually shortened to Ken and Kenny.
Is Kendall a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Kendall currently ranks #309 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.