Kendall carries 65,593 cumulative American girls on SSA record and currently sits at rank 310, with a 2012 peak. The chart shows the classic surname-as-given trajectory: thin presence through the 1980s, sharp climb across the 1990s and 2000s as American parents leaned into preppy English-place surnames for daughters, peak around 2012, and a slow decline since.
The Old English source
Kendall originates as an English topographic surname from the town of Kendal in Cumbria, northwest England. The town name derives from Old English Kent (the river name) plus dael (valley), giving "valley of the Kent." The surname appears in English records from the 13th century and crossed to North America through Cumbrian and Scottish borderland migration.
The given-name use for boys predates the girls' use by about a generation. Through the 1940s and 1950s, Kendall appeared on American boys' lists in modest numbers. The crossover to girls began in the late 1970s and accelerated sharply through the 1990s, following the same pattern that pushed Lindsey, Whitney, and Madison from male surnames into female given names.
The Kendall Jenner factor
The name's 2012 peak coincides almost exactly with Kendall Jenner's reality-television prominence and her transition into mainstream modeling. Whether or not parents consciously chose the name for that reason, the visibility almost certainly accelerated the existing climb and may explain why the post-peak decline has been gentle rather than steep. Browse the broader English girl names cluster.
The counter-reading
The unisex tilt is now overwhelmingly female. American boys named Kendall have been a tiny minority since the 2000s, and the name reads as feminine on a 2026 birth certificate without ambiguity. Parents who liked the original gender-neutral feel of the name are choosing Kendrick, Kennedy (also feminized now), or other surname imports instead.
The two-syllable rhythm with the strong KEN opener and softer -dall ending pairs well with longer or more delicate middle names. The Ken and Kendi nicknames work in casual contexts, though most American Kendalls use the full form professionally. The 2010s peak cohort is now reaching adolescence, which means the name is starting to feel slightly mom-coded for the youngest current generation of parents.
Sibling pairings work across the surname-as-given cluster: Kendall and Madison, Kendall and Reagan, Kendall and Quinn, Kendall and Hadley. Middle names tend traditional: Kendall Marie, Kendall Grace, Kendall Elizabeth, Kendall Rose. See where she sits on current SSA rankings, or compare with Madison.