Surname Kendig - Meaning and Origin

Kendig: What does the surname Kendig mean?

The last name Kendig is of German origin and is found throughout the United States and other parts of the world. It is derived from the Germanic word "kenden", which means to catch or trap. In early Germanic records, it is spelled as "Kandedich". The surname has been recorded in various forms, such as Kendig, Kundig, Kendt, Kentig and Kendigk, and can be found in countries such as Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands and the United States.

The name Kendig is believed to have first been used as a surname by people living in the Rhineland region of Germany. It is likely that these people were involved in trapping animals or birds for food or fur, hence the association of the name with trapping. The use of the name may also have referred to a skilled and successful hunter. Over time, the name evolved into what we now know of as Kendig, and was passed on from one generation to the next.

The name Kendig is associated with independent, strong-willed individuals who take initiative, are reliable, and take pride in their families and their work. These attributes, which are reflective of the origin of the name, are often the same values that are instilled in the people who carry the Kendig name.

Kendig: Where does the name Kendig come from?

The last name Kendig is most commonly found in the United States today. According to an Ancestry.com search, the surname is most heavily concentrated in the states of Pennsylvania and Indiana. There are also smaller pockets of Kendigs in Ohio, Texas, and California.

The surname is primarily of German origin, indicating that the Kendig family likely arrived in the US from Germany sometime in the mid- or late 1800s. The variation 'Kendig' suggests that the family was likely of Swiss or Swiss-German descent, as the 'g' ending is more common in Swiss German. Although the specific etymology of the name is unknown, its possible the surname evolved from the German given name 'Konrad,' meaning 'bold counsel.'

Accompanying the surname is a rich family history. The Kendig family tree is said to contain some of the earliest settlers of Pennsylvania, and many of the men in the lineage served in the Revolutionary War. There have also been various notable members of the family over the years, including the writer Andrew V. Kendig who was born in South Middleton Township, Pennsylvania in 1840, and Wendell Kendig, an American public servant who served as Pennsylvania's postmaster and chairman of the State Tax Equalization Board.

Today, the surname Kendig is often seen in the United States, as the bearer of a proud and long family history.

Variations of the surname Kendig

The surname Kendig is a habitational name, derived from the family’s place of origin. It is most commonly seen spelled as Kendig, but it can also be spelled as Kendigge, Kendick, Kendigke, as well as Kendick and Kendicks. It is also seen in multiple spellings of the same root word, such as Kendig, Kindig, Kindigge, Kindick, Kindigke, and Kindicks.

The source of the name Kendig is thought to be Middle English, with the root of the word being 'Kend', meaning 'bold', 'impudent' or 'courageous', while the postfix -ig is a variation of -wick, meaning 'a place of residence'.

The Kendig surname is primarily found in the UK, southern Germany and Switzerland, as well as places with historical ties to these countries, such as the US and parts of Canada. Its variants and spellings can, however, be found in many other countries, such as France, Belgium, Austria, Australia, and New Zealand.

The Kendig surname is sometimes confused with the similar-sounding Kenderdine, which is an anglicized version of an Irish surname, derived from the Gaelic Ó Ciardaigh or O'Kiernan. It is most commonly seen in Lancashire and Yorkshire, UK, but is also found in places with historical Irish links, such as the US and Canada.

Famous people with the name Kendig

• Bruce Kendig: Former president of Youngstown State University who earned his PhD from the University of Michigan.
• Jeff Kendig: Professional skateboarder, best known for his appearances in the video games Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5.
• Fred Kendig: American football coach at the University of Houston from 1960 to 1966.
• Alfred Kendig: A notable American educator and founder of the East Stroudsburg State College.
• Dan Kendig: American hockey defenseman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1979 to 1983.
• William Kendig: American artist, best known for his work with the Hamburg Museum of Modern Art.
• Sam Kendig: American professional golfer who won the 1936 Myrtle Beach Open.
• Juliet Kendig: American professional dancer and choreographer who has appeared on numerous television series.
• Lyle Kendig: American aviator who piloted the first nonstop flight from San Francisco to Paris in 1927. 10.Wendell Kendig: An influential American Presbyterian minister who served as the chaplain of Princeton University in the 1950s.

Other surnames

KendillKendillon