Hendon
A surname most likely taken from a place-name meaning “at the high hill” or “hill valley.”
The #9,567 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 90,861 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Hendon is generally understood as a locational surname from one of the places called Hendon, especially the one in Middlesex. The place-name is usually explained from Old English elements meaning “high” and “hill” or “down, hill,” giving the sense of a settlement by or on a hill. As with many English surnames, it would originally have identified someone who came from that place.
History
The surname is relatively uncommon and appears to have developed in England as a habitational name. Later bearers spread beyond the original locality, and the name is now found in English-speaking countries, including the United States. The provided historical excerpt does not discuss the surname’s origin directly, so this entry relies on standard onomastic interpretation rather than a cited dictionary headword.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Hendon is also the name of a well-known district in northwest London, which helps explain why the surname is usually treated as locational.
From the historical record
“A Sei-mon preached before the Promoters of the Protestant Dissenters, Grammar School, &lill-hill. Hendon, 1808. Discoui'ses on the Millennium. History of the Dissenters, from the Revolution in 1689, to the year 1808 ; in conjunction with Mr. Bennet. 1809, 3”
— The Scottish Nation; or, the surnames, families ... of the people of Scotland, vol. 1