How to say it
KEN · dall
/ˈkɛn.dəl/
Unisex
Kendall
Valley of the River Kent
What it means
An English place name, 'valley of the River Kent,' from the Cumbrian town of Kendal.
Kendall is an English place and surname name meaning 'the valley of the Kent,' after the river and the town of Kendal in Cumbria. It crossed into first-name use as a sleek unisex pick and tipped strongly feminine in the 2010s with model Kendall Jenner. It reads modern, polished, and a little fashion-forward. Ken and Kenny are possible but rarely used shorts.
Popularity over time
Feminine: peaked at #116 in 2012, currently #328 in 2025.
Masculine: peaked at #287 in 1993, currently #1232 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Worth knowing
Unisex by history, now leaning feminine; the town of Kendal is the origin.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Kendall Jenner American model
Spelling variants
- Kendal
- Kendyl
- Kendell
Names with the same feeling
See Kendall from another angle
By style