Recorded in a wide range of spellings including Bendley, Bindley, Boundley, Bondley, and Bundley, this is an English surname. It is locational and either originates from a village called Bondleigh in the county of Devonshire, or from some now "lost" medieval place of which the only memory in the 20th century is the surviving surname. "Lost" villages are a feature of the British Isles. It is estimated that at least three thousand surnames do originate from this source, and it is always a surprise that in such over crowded islands, so many places remain to be discovered. The village of Bondleigh was originally recorded in the famous Domesday Book of 1086 as "Bolenei" and later in 1242 as "Bonlegh". It is believed that the meaning is "Bona's farm" with Bona being a pre 7th century Olde English personal name. Early examples of the surname recording do not throw much light on the origin. In the surviving early church registers and particularly those of the diocese of Greater London where the name recording is most popular, suggest that Bendlee or Bendley was the original form, with Henry Bendlee being christened at St Giles Cripplegate, on June 30th 1611. However on July 12th 1635 at the same church, he is recorded as Henry Bendley. From the recording of John Bindley, whose son Thomas was christened at St Margarets Westminster on April 6th 1679, the preponderance of the recordings is as Bindley. These include Zephaniah Bindley as an exotic example, marrying Elizabeth Metcalf, at St Martins in the Field, Westminster, on March 31st 1806.

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