Wanda
Wanda was the 6096th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 20 babies. Its best year was 1934, when it ranked 47th; the most babies were born in 1957 (7,713). Over the last ten years it has moved down 649 places. More babies were named Wanda in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning perhaps 'a Wend' (Polish) · Polish
Say it WAHN-duh /ˈwɑndə/
- Rank in 2025
- #6,096 girls, up 522 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 20girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19577,713 babies
- Total since 1880
- 282,186babies recorded
What does the name Wanda mean?
Wanda is a Polish name, the name of a legendary princess of Kraków who drowned herself rather than marry a German prince. Its origin is uncertain; Wiktionary says it is possibly derived from an ethnic term for 'a Wend', a Slavic people of eastern Germany. The novel Wanda (1883) by Ouida helped bring it into English use, and it was common in the US in the 1950s.
Wanda (Polish, “legendary princess's name”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The 'Wend' link is Wiktionary's 'possibly'.
See also: Slavic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Wanda', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Wanda popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 972 since 1917.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #6,096 | 20 |
| 2020 | #6,618 | 18 |
| 2010 | #7,200 | 18 |
| 2000 | #2,455 | 63 |
| 1990 | #980 | 191 |
| 1980 | #445 | 481 |
| 1970 | #132 | 2,718 |
| 1960 | #66 | 6,674 |
| 1950 | #52 | 6,929 |
| 1940 | #52 | 4,708 |
| 1930 | #56 | 4,524 |
| 1920 | #117 | 2,198 |
| 1910 | #211 | 308 |
| 1900 | #345 | 94 |
| 1890 | #424 | 37 |
| 1880 | #545 | 11 |
How popular is Wanda, counting every spelling?
Wanda has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Wanda?
20 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Wanda (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Wanda born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 423 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Wanda.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Wanda?
About 154,300 people born in the US named Wanda are alive today, with a median age of 70; half are between 63 and 77. That makes Wanda a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Wanda: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Wanda, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Wanda
What does Wanda mean?
Wanda is usually explained as “perhaps 'a Wend' (Polish)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Wanda?
Wanda was the 6096th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 20 babies. Its best year was 1934, when it ranked 47th; the most babies were born in 1957 (7,713). Over the last ten years it has moved down 649 places. More babies were named Wanda in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Wanda a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Wanda in the US.