Surname Pendley - Meaning and Origin

Pendley: What does the surname Pendley mean?

The surname Pendley is of English origin, believed to be derived from a geographic location. Possible sources indicate that it may come from the old English words "pend" meaning "hill" and "ley" meaning "wood or clearing." Therefore, it can be inferred that the original bearers of this surname might have lived or worked in such a geographical area. It's a fairly uncommon surname and first made an appearance in records dating back to medieval times in Hertfordshire, England. The meaning of surnames often evolved based on profession, personal characteristics, or geographic location, so these origins could vary. It's also important to note that spelling variations are common due to historical shifts in language and phonetics. Variations of the name Pendley include Pendle, Pendel, and Pendly among others. It's also the name of a place: Pendley, a hamlet in Hertfordshire, UK.

Pendley: Where does the name Pendley come from?

The last name Pendley is most commonly found today in the United States. Pendley is the 21,243rd most common name in the United States, it is increasingly concentrated in the South and Mid-Atlantic states, which is where Pendleys have historically been the most populous. In many states across the United States including Louisiana, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina, Arkansas, and especially Texas, the Pendley family has had a long presence.

In Texas, the earliest record of the Pendley family is in 1835, in Shelby County, Texas. Pendleys are found across Texas, and in particular, are most frequent in Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, and Corpus Christi.

Outside the United States, Pendley isn't as common and is most frequently found in England, Wales, Canada, Scotland, Ireland, and Australia. The Pendley family were among the first settlers to Ireland during the early 1800s. As such, the family can be traced back to the Connaught area.Recently, the Pendley family has been found in the areas of Kilkenny and Wexford, Ireland.

While most Pendleys can trace their roots back to the same region, there are Pendleys from other backgrounds, especially in more urban and metropolitan areas. This is due to immigration and inter-marriage, which has become more common in the recent decades for a variety of reasons.

However, the Pendley family has spread across the globe, and with more frequent inter-marriage, more Pendleys are being found in places they haven't previously been. Nonetheless, the United States is still the most common place where the Pendleys are found, in particular the Southern and Mid-Atlantic states.

Variations of the surname Pendley

The surname Pendley is derived from the Middle English word ‘pendel’ meaning ‘hanging’ and originally referred to a person who hung or ‘pended’ goods in a store. The Pendley surname has various spellings and has been used in different countries around the world. The most common variant spellings of Pendley include Pendly, Pently, Pensly, and Pendell. Pendell is particularly common in Scotland.

Other variants of the Pendley surname are found in Ireland and have been adapted to the different regional dialects. Variants found in Ireland include Pendhraga, Pendral, Pendilo, and Pendlee. These variant spellings of Pendley are used in Tipperary, Cork, and other surrounding counties.

In England and Wales, variant spellings of Pendley include Penceley, Pynley, and Pendleg. In Australia, Pendley is usually recorded in records as Pendly, while in the United States, variants are mainly recorded as Pendleton, Pennington, and Pendell.

Variant surnames of Pendley have also been derived from places and events associated with the Pendley family. Pendley-Smith is associated with Smiths in Worcestershire, England, and Pendley-Langley is linked to the Langley family in Somerset, England. Pendley-Wilcox and Pendley-Wilson are also related to Pendley in some way, however it is not currently known how.

The Pendley surname is also connected to the Pendlebury surname, which is found in parts of Lancashire, England. This variant of Pendley is believed to have descended from someone who lived near the Pendle Hill area of Lancashire.

Overall, there are many different spellings and variants of the surname Pendley which have arisen due to different dialects, regions, and places associated with the Pendley family.

Famous people with the name Pendley

• William Pendley: William Pendley is the deputy Director of the Bureau of Land Management and a western conservative advocate.
• Jonathan Pendley: Jonathan Pendley is a former US Secretary of the Navy and was nominated for the position by President George H.W. Bush in the 1990s.
• Christopher Pendley: Christopher Pendley is an American film director, film editor, and editor-in-chief of Gearhead Magazine.
• Toby Pendley: Toby Pendley is an American radio and television host. He is the founder of the syndicated radio show "Just a Minute."
• Vivian Pendley: Vivian Pendley is an actress best known for her role in the television series "Family Ties."
• Narene Pendley: Narene Pendley is a professional wrestler, who performs under the moniker Nita Starr.
• Ricky Pendley: Ricky Pendley is an American country music singer and songwriter.
• Jeannie Pendley: Jeannie Pendley is an American journalist, best known for her reporting on politics and current affairs.
• Barry Pendley: Barry Pendley is an American painter and sculptor.
• Jordan Pendley: Jordan Pendley is a professional baseball player, who is currently playing in the Seattle Mariners Minor League organization.

Other surnames

Pendleton