Pendry is a surname and a proper noun with multiple established references, most notably the English theoretical physicist Sir John Pendry and the luxury hospitality brand Pendry Hotels & Resorts.
Sir John Brian Pendry (born 4 July 1943) is an English theoretical physicist and a leading figure in condensed matter physics. He is best known as the founder of the field of metamaterials — artificially structured materials that exhibit electromagnetic properties not found in nature. Pendry is a professor of theoretical solid state physics at Imperial College London, where he previously served as head of the Department of Physics (1998–2001) and Principal of the Faculty of Physical Sciences (2001–2002).
Pendry was educated at Downing College, Cambridge, earning a PhD in 1969. His early research focused on low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) and the development of the first quantitative theory of EXAFS (extended X-ray absorption fine structure). In the 1990s, he turned his attention to photonic materials and metamaterials. In 1999, he demonstrated that materials with negative magnetic permeability could be created using split-ring resonator structures, and in 2000 he published a landmark paper in Physical Review Letters proposing a "perfect lens" (superlens) capable of overcoming the diffraction limit. In 2006, with David R. Smith of Duke University, Pendry developed the concept of transformation optics and proposed a design for an electromagnetic invisibility cloak, which was subsequently demonstrated experimentally at microwave frequencies.
Pendry was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1984 and was knighted in the 2004 Birthday Honours. His major awards include the Dirac Medal (1996), the Royal Medal (2006), the Kavli Prize in Nanoscience (2014, shared with Stefan Hell and Thomas Ebbesen), the Isaac Newton Medal (2013), the Dan David Prize (2016), the Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technology (2024), and the Copley Medal (2025).
Pendry Hotels & Resorts is a luxury boutique hospitality brand founded in 2017 as part of Montage International, headquartered in Irvine, California. The brand operates hotels and residences in destinations including San Diego, Baltimore, Chicago, New York (Manhattan West), Washington DC (The Wharf), Newport Beach, Park City, Natirar (New Jersey), Tampa, Mexico City, Punta Mita, and Barbados. Pendry properties are characterized by contemporary design, boutique culture, and an emphasis on local arts and community. The brand is owned by KT Intellectual Property Holding Company LLC, with founders Alan J. Fuerstman and Michael Fuerstman.
The name "Pendry" may also function as a surname of English origin, though it is not among the most common surnames.
