Pendlebury

This interesting surname is of Anglo-Saxon and Welsh origin, and is a locational name from Pendlebury in Lancashire, deriving from the Welsh "pen" meaning hill, top, head, plus the Olde English pre 7th Century "hyll", hill, and the Olde English "burh", fort, town.The placename is recorded as "Penelbiri" (1202), "Penlebire" (1206) in the Pipe Rolls, and as "Penhilbyry" (1284) in the Assize Court Rolls.

Some time before 1212 (under the reign of King John), the Pendlebury family was established as Lords of Snydale. Which they retained until 1590 when the Pendlebury's heir was female, and Lordship shifted to her husband James Worthington.

During the Middle Ages when it was increasingly common for people to migrate from their birthplace to seek work further afield, the custom developed that they would adopt the place name as a means of identification. Variations in the spelling of the surname include Pendlebery, and Pendleberry.