Kendyll

Meaning & origin

Kendyll is a modern respelling of Kendall, a name that has been used in the United States since at least 1982. The name saw its peak popularity in 2011, when it ranked 6,838th, but it has been steadily declining each year since 2012. In 2025, the name was given to approximately 1 in every 100,454 newborn girls, placing it firmly in the range of rare names. The creative spelling variant Kendyll distinguishes it from the more common Kendall and aligns with a trend of unique, feminine-sounding names ending in 'yll'. While its exact meaning is uncertain, the name is often associated with the place name Kendal in Cumbria, England, or with the Welsh elements for 'royal valley'. No top states were recorded for this name in the most recent data, suggesting a broad but sparse distribution across the country. The name's trajectory indicates it is a brief fashion that may continue to decline.

Kendyll is a modern respelling of Kendall, which itself is derived from the place name Kendal in Cumbria, England. The place name combines the river name Kent (of uncertain meaning) with Old English 'dæl' meaning 'valley', thus 'valley of the River Kent'. Alternatively, it may have Welsh origins from 'cyn' (chief) and 'dâl' (valley), meaning 'royal valley'. As a given name, Kendall has been used since the 19th century, but the spelling Kendyll is a recent coinage, likely influenced by creative respellings popular in the late 20th century.