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.
The surname Kendig was first found in the county of Cornwall where they held a family seat from early times.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kendig research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 146 and 1462 are included under the topic Early Kendig History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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.
More information is included under the topic Early Kendig Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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.
In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Kendig were found: