This interesting surname of English origin with variant spellings Pendell, Pendel, Pendle, Pindal, Pendall, Pindell, etc. is a locational name from a place called Pendle (hill) in Lancashire, deriving from the Welsh "pen" meaning "top" plus the Old English pre 7th Century "hyll" "hill". The placename is recorded as Pennul (1285) "Inquisitions post mortem", and as Penhul (1305) "Two Compoti of the Manors of Henry de Lacy". The surname dates back to the mid 16th Century, (see below). Church recordings include Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Pindell who was christened on March 1st 1608, at St. Mary Whitechapel, Stepney, Edmunde, son of Hughe Pendell, was christened on August 1st 1613, at Manchester Cathedral, Lancashire, and Robert, son of William and Sara Pendall, was christened on January 1st 1634 at Holy Trinity in the Minories, London. Thomas Pendell married Margaret Hillam on June 6th 1814, in London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Pindell, witnessed the christening of his daughter Elizabeth, which was dated 1556, St. Matthew's, Friday Street, London, during the reign of Queen Mary, known as "Bloody Mary", 1553 - 1558. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.