Wendel
Wendel was the 13792nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 5 babies. Its best year was 1940, when it ranked 965th with 45 babies. More babies were named Wendel in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Wendell) from the tribal name Wendel · Germanic, English
- Rank in 2025
- #13,792 boys
- Babies in 2025
- 5boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 194045 babies
- Total since 1880
- 2,147babies recorded
What does the name Wendel mean?
Wendel is a spelling of Wendell, pronounced the same way, so it shares Wendell's meaning and origin.
Wendell comes from Germanic names beginning with Wendel-, which DMNES and Wiktionary trace to the name of a Germanic people (Proto-Germanic *wandilaz, linked with the Vandals; it has also been associated with the Slavic Wends). It survived as a surname, and in the US it became a first name partly in honor of the poet Oliver Wendell Holmes and his son, the Supreme Court justice. It was most common in the US in the 1930s to 1950s.
*wandilaz (Proto-Germanic, “a Germanic tribal name”)
How sure is this? Probable. The tribal name is clear, but which people it originally referred to is debated.
Related names: Wendel, Wendelin.
See also: Germanic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Wendell', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Wendel', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Wendell (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Wendel popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #13,792 | 5 |
| 2020 | — | — |
| 2010 | #12,140 | 6 |
| 2000 | — | — |
| 1990 | #7,153 | 7 |
| 1980 | #2,441 | 21 |
| 1970 | #1,373 | 38 |
| 1960 | #1,461 | 31 |
| 1950 | #1,180 | 38 |
| 1940 | #965 | 45 |
| 1930 | #1,329 | 30 |
| 1920 | #1,883 | 19 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Wendel, counting every spelling?
Wendel is a spelling of Wendell, a name family that had 72 boys in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 72 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wendell | 67 | #2,165 | 422 |
| Wendel | 5 | #13,792 | 38 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Wendel?
5 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Wendel (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Wendel 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 1,661 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Wendel.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Wendel?
About 1,100 people born in the US named Wendel are alive today, with a median age of 58; half are between 42 and 71. That makes Wendel 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 Wendel: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Wendel, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Wendel
What does Wendel mean?
Wendel is a spelling of Wendell, which means “from the tribal name Wendel” (Germanic, English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Wendel?
Wendel was the 13792nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 5 babies. Its best year was 1940, when it ranked 965th with 45 babies. More babies were named Wendel in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Wendel a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Wendel in the US.