Arundel is the successor to several boundary and name changes affecting towns in York County.

A town by the name of Arundel was incorporated on June 10, 1719 from an earlier settlement known as Cape Porpus. By 1821 the name Arundel disappeared as it was changed to Kennebunk Port on February 19th of that year.

Nearly a century later, on April 1st, 1915, a new town was created from Kennebunk Port to be known as North Kennebunkport. Its name was changed in 1957 to Arundel. Thus, the new Arundel occupies a small portion of the town so named in 1719.

But, just to complicate matters, a village in the current town of Kennebunkport, is known as Arundel!

Kenneth Roberts’ historical novel Arundel recounts the early life of the area and influenced the reemergence of the name.