Show ContentsKendray History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the first family to use the name Kendray lived among the Pictish people of ancient Scotland. The name Kendray is derived from the personal name Henry.

Early Origins of the Kendray family

The surname Kendray was first found in Ayrshire and Fife where the intrusive "d" is common as in "Hendry." The earliest records are in the Latin form: "Henricus, dapifer, a witness c. 1183-88, and Henricus (Chen), bishop of Aberdeen, 1282-1328." 1

Early History of the Kendray family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kendray research. Another 149 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1519, 1527, 1551, 1552, 1562, 1600, 1700, 1718, 1771, 1774, 1777, 1781, 1785, 1790, 1793, 1798 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Kendray History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kendray Spelling Variations

The arts of spelling and translation were yet in their infancies when surnames began, so there are an enormous number of spelling variations of the names in early Scottish records. This is a particular problem with Scottish names because of the numerous times a name might have been loosely translated to English from Gaelic and back. Kendray has been spelled Hendry, Hendrie, MacHendry, MacHendrick, MacKendrick and many more.

Early Notables of the Kendray family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Robert Henry (1718-1790), Scottish historian, son of James Henry, farmer, of Muirton, parish of St. Ninian's, Stirlingshire, and Jean Galloway, was born on 18 Feb. 1718. "The first volume of Henry's ‘History of England’ appeared in...
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kendray Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Kendray family to Ireland

Some of the Kendray family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kendray family

This oppression forced many Scots to leave their homelands. Most of these chose North America as their destination. Although the journey left many sick and poor, these immigrants were welcomed the hardy with great opportunity. Many of these settlers stood up for their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. More recently, Scots abroad have recovered much of their collective heritage through highland games and other patriotic functions and groups. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has located various settlers bearing the name Kendray: Daniel and James Hendrie arrived in Philadelphia in 1858; Joe Hendry settled in Virginia in 1635; Thomas Hendry settled in Barbados in 1669; Robert Hendry settled in New Hampshire in 1719.



  1. 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)


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