Show ContentsFender History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Fender family

The surname Fender was first found in Huntingdonshire where Robert le Fendur was listed in the Feet of Fines for 1267. A few years later, Thomas le Fendour was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1301. [1]

Another source notes that "Richard de Vendure witnesses Hugh de Coluncis' grant to Motesfont Priory, Hampshire; Oliver de Vendoure and 'Willielmus frater ejus' that of Simon de Crevecoeur to Bullington Priory, Lincolnshire. Gunilda de Wendoure paid a fine in Buckinghamshire in 1202.

The phonetic sound of the name pointed to many different spellings. "Richard de Wendour was Archdeacon of Axfordby in 1230: and two of the name, Hugo de Wendor, of Lincolnshire, and Alan de Vendur of Yorkshire, occur about 1272 in the Hundredorum Rolls " [2]

"Sir John de Wendour was Chamberlain of Chester 9 and 15 Edward. In the Issue Roll, under date 50 Ed. II I. , we find the following entry : '20th November.—To John Vendour of Newark, coming by command of the Council from Lincoln, to bring Sir William de Cantelupe, knight, to the Tower of London, upon suspicion had against him for the death of Nicholas de Cantelupe, his brother, slain : and there safely and securely to keep him in the King's prison until otherwise respecting the same William it should be ordered by the King and his Council. In money paid, &c., in discharge of one hundred shillings, which the Lord the King commanded to be paid him for the wages and expenses of himself and his men going with him and his retinue, for the safe custody of the aforesaid William.' "

"In some cases Vendoure appears to have been synonymous with the English local name of Wendover. Oliver de Vendoure of Lincolnshire, for instance, is, as often as not, styled in the Monasticon, Oliver de Wendover." [2]

Early History of the Fender family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fender research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1381, 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Fender History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fender Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Fender are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Fender include: Fender, Fendor, Fendur, Fendere, Vendor, Vender, Fenter, Fentor, Fendour and many more.

Early Notables of the Fender family

More information is included under the topic Early Fender Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fender Ranking

In the United States, the name Fender is the 4,905th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [3]


United States Fender migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Fender or a variant listed above:

Fender Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johannes Fender, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1748 [4]
Fender Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Fender, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1854
  • George Fender was recorded in Philadelphia in 1868

Contemporary Notables of the name Fender (post 1700) +

  • Clarence Leonidas "Leo" Fender (1909-1991), American electronic instrument and amplifier designer and maker, founder of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation in 1946, best known for its Stratocaster guitar
  • Michael Fender, American politician, Burgess of Larksville, Pennsylvania, 1927-35 [5]
  • Percy George Herbert Fender (1892-1985), English cricketer who played 13 Tests and was captain of Surrey between 1921 and 1931
  • Edward Fender (1942-2021), Polish luger who competed during the mid-1960s who won the silver medal in the men's doubles event at the 1963 FIL World Luge Championships
  • Mr. Andrew Henryk Fender C.B.E. (b. 1949), British retired Councillor longest service Transport Chief, was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for political service by her Majesty The Queen [6]
  • Freddy Fender (1937-2006), born Baldemar Garza Huerta, American country and rock and roll musician, best known for his 1975 hits "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" and "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights"
  • Andrew Fender, British councilor for the City of Manchester, England
  • Sir Brian Fender, British academic administrator


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  6. "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists


Houseofnames.com on Facebook