Show ContentsClendenin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Clendenin surname was taken on from the place name Glendonwyne, a parish of Westerkirk, Dumfriesshire, on record since the 13th century. [1] [2] The name literally means "one who came from Glendinning (glen of the fair hill)." [3]

Early Origins of the Clendenin family

The surname Clendenin was first found in Dumfriesshire. "Douglas (Baronage) states that a charter was granted by John Macgill of that Ilk (de eodem) to Adam de Glendonwyn of all his part of the lands and beronies of Clifton and Merbotel in the shire of Roxburgh prior to 1286." [4]

Continuing from this source: "In 1313 Sir Adam obtained a discharge of all bygone feu-duties from Archibald Douglas, lord of Galloway, and in 1398 John of Glendonwyne and Symoun of Glendonwyne were two of the 'borowis' for the earl of Douglas's bounds of the West March, and Symon of Glendonwyn was hostage for Archibald, Earl of Douglas, 1408." [4]

The Glenday (Glendy) variant is "a common name in Angus from the district of that name. William Glendy obtained a decree against the Earl of Craufurd in 1569." [4]

Early History of the Clendenin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clendenin research. Another 253 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1239, 1250, 1387, 1388, 1401, 1408, 1450, 1451, 1467, 1504, 1587, 1599, 1667, 1720, 1798 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Clendenin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clendenin Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Glendinning, Glendowyn, Glendowyne, Glendonyn, Glendonwyn, Glendening, Glendon, Glenden, Glendin, Glendining, Glendinnin, Glendyning, Glendounn, Clendenning, Clendinning and many more.

Early Notables of the Clendenin family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Matthew de Glendonwyn (d. 1408), late 14th and early 15th century bishop of Glasgow, elected to the see after the death of Cardinal Walter Wardlaw, his predecessor as bishop, elected sometime between Wardlaw's death in September and Matthew's first appearance as bishop-elect in December, consecrated some months after his election...
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Clendenin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Clendenin family to Ireland

Some of the Clendenin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Clendenin migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Clendenin Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Archibald and Miriam Clendenin, Scoth-Irish who arrived in Boston in 1718
  • Archibald Clendenin, who landed in New England in 1718 [5]

Canada Clendenin migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Clendenin Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Walter Clendenin U.E. who settled in Gainsborough [Lincoln], Lincoln County, Ontario c. 1783 [6]

Contemporary Notables of the name Clendenin (post 1700) +

  • Michael Clendenin (1934-2017), American newspaper editor for the New York Daily News and reporter, winner of Pulitzer Prize (1974)
  • Scott Clendenin (d. 2015), American death metal bassist
  • David Ramsay Clendenin (1830-1895), American Union brevet brigadier general during the period of the American Civil War
  • John L. Clendenin (b. 1933), American former Chairman of The Home Depot
  • David Clendenin, American investor, soldier and legislator, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio (1814-1817)
  • Robert Treman "Bob" Clendenin (b. 1964), American actor, best known for portraying Carl Dawson in the TBS series 10 Items or Less
  • John A. Clendenin, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Virgin Islands, 2008 [7]
  • John A. Clendenin, American politician, Representative from New York 28th District, 1994 [7]
  • David Clendenin (b. 1779), American politician, Representative from Ohio 6th District, 1814-17 [7]
  • C. C. Clendenin, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for West Virginia State House of Delegates from Pocahontas County, 1928 [7]
  • ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  3. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  4. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  5. 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)
  6. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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