Wendell
Wendell was the 2165th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 67 babies. Its best year was 1940, when it ranked 114th with 1,625 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 236 places. More babies were named Wendell in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning from the tribal name Wendel · Germanic, English
Say it WEN-dul /ˈwɛndəl/
- Rank in 2025
- #2,165 boys, down 53 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 67boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19401,625 babies
- Total since 1880
- 54,330babies recorded
What does the name Wendell mean?
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)
Wendell popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 567 since 1913.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,165 | 67 |
| 2020 | #2,112 | 67 |
| 2010 | #2,186 | 61 |
| 2000 | #1,313 | 99 |
| 1990 | #680 | 222 |
| 1980 | #474 | 317 |
| 1970 | #350 | 537 |
| 1960 | #238 | 1,147 |
| 1950 | #218 | 842 |
| 1940 | #114 | 1,625 |
| 1930 | #202 | 672 |
| 1920 | #232 | 544 |
| 1910 | #301 | 69 |
| 1900 | #418 | 30 |
| 1890 | #628 | 11 |
| 1880 | #904 | 6 |
How popular is Wendell, counting every spelling?
Wendell is the most common spelling of 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 Wendell?
67 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Wendell (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Wendell 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 125 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Wendell.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Wendell?
About 27,300 people born in the US named Wendell are alive today, with a median age of 63; half are between 49 and 72. That makes Wendell 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.
Wendell by state
How common Wendell was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Minnesota (3.3×). In 36 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Wendell: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Wendell, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Wendell · Sibling names for Wendell
Questions about the name Wendell
What does Wendell mean?
Wendell means “from the tribal name Wendel” (Germanic, English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Wendell?
Wendell was the 2165th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 67 babies. Its best year was 1940, when it ranked 114th with 1,625 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 236 places. More babies were named Wendell in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Wendell a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Wendell in the US.
Where is Wendell most popular?
In 2021–2025, Wendell was most common in Minnesota (0.16 per 1,000 boys), followed by Georgia and Tennessee.