The Kendrick surname is usually considered to be of Welsh, English, or Scottish origin. The Welsh and English origins of the name are quite similar. In Wales, it was derived from the personal name “Cynwrig,” meaning chief man. In England it was derived from the given name “Cenric” or “Kendrich”, from the Old English pre 7th Century “Cyneric”, meaning royal power. In Scotland, the name means “son of Henry” and was originally expressed as Machendrie or Mackendrick.
Name Distribution in the U. S.
In 1840, there were 240 Kendrick families in the U. S., with the highest concentrations in Massachusetts and Georgia. In the next 40 years, the Kendricks multiplied to 4,834 families and migrated all the way across the country, but 21% still lived in Georgia. Interestingly, there were only 2,641 Kendrick families in 1920 and were represented in each of the continental states, with the highest concentrations in Georgia, Alabama, and Texas.
Occupations
In 1880, most Kendricks were farmers, although a slightly smaller percentage than the general population. 35% were farmers, 7% housekeepers, 9% laborers, 3% farm laborers, and 4% worked in farming.
Civil War Service
712 Kendricks fought in the Civil War. 67% fought on the Confederate side (no surprise, given their heavy concentration in the South).
Sources:
“Kendrick Family History Facts.” Genealogy, Family Trees and Family History Records online – Ancestry.com. 31 Jan. 2009 http://www.ancestry.com.
“Kendrick surname meaning.” SurnameDB: Free database of surname meanings. 31 Jan. 2009 http://www.surnamedb.com.
