Show ContentsKendig History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The proud Kendig family originated in Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. The Kendig family originally lived in the county of Cornwall, at Kingdon manor. A number of places of this name exist in various counties of England. It translates as the house of the king.

Early Origins of the Kendig family

The surname Kendig was first found in the county of Cornwall where they held a family seat from early times.

Early History of the Kendig family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kendig research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1462 is included under the topic Early Kendig History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kendig Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Kindon, Kingdon, Kingdom and others.

Early Notables of the Kendig family

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

Kendig Ranking

In the United States, the name Kendig is the 13,745th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Ireland Migration of the Kendig family to Ireland

Some of the Kendig family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Kendig migration to the United States +

In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Kendig were found:

Kendig Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Martin Kendig, who arrived in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1710 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Kendig (post 1700) +

  • Daniel S. Kendig, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Seneca County, 1855 3
  • A. Edward Kendig, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Wyoming State Senate from Platte County, 1965 3
  • Kendig C. Bare (1913-1989), American politician, Mayor of Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1950 and from 1951 to 1958


The Kendig Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Regis donum gratum bonum
Motto Translation: A king's gift is pleasant and good.


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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