Wendy
Wendy was the 1347th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 165 babies. Its best year was 1970, when it ranked 28th; the most babies were born in 1967 (11,223). Over the last ten years it has moved down 403 places. More babies were named Wendy in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning popularized by Peter Pan (origin debated) · English
Say it WEN-dee /ˈwɛndi/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,347 girls, down 159 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 165girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 196711,223 babies
- Total since 1880
- 263,276babies recorded
What does the name Wendy mean?
Wendy was popularized by Wendy Darling in J. M. Barrie's play Peter Pan (1904). Wiktionary notes that Barrie said he took it from 'Fwendy-Wendy' ('friend'), a child's nickname for him, though the name is occasionally found earlier; it may also be a pet form of Gwendolen or of Germanic names in Wend-. It was very popular in the US in the 1960s and 1970s.
How sure is this? Uncertain. Barrie's account is one explanation; earlier uses point to other sources.
Related names: Gwendolyn, Wenda.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Wendy', 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)
Wendy popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 951 since 1947.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,347 | 165 |
| 2020 | #1,188 | 196 |
| 2010 | #591 | 498 |
| 2000 | #317 | 1,004 |
| 1990 | #206 | 1,397 |
| 1980 | #75 | 4,141 |
| 1970 | #28 | 11,100 |
| 1960 | #63 | 6,870 |
| 1950 | #114 | 3,030 |
| 1940 | #428 | 254 |
| 1930 | #2,106 | 17 |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Wendy, counting every spelling?
Wendy is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #1,265 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,347 for Wendy on its own. Together these spellings went to 165 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wendy | 165 | #1,347 | 954 |
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 Wendy?
165 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Wendy (0.05 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Wendy 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 51 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Wendy.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Wendy?
About 233,400 people born in the US named Wendy are alive today, with a median age of 57; half are between 49 and 63. That makes Wendy 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.
Wendy by state
How common Wendy was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Washington (2.3×), California (1.6×). In 28 states fewer than five girls 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 Wendy: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Wendy, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Wendy · Sibling names for Wendy
Wendy is also a nickname for Gwendolyn.
Questions about the name Wendy
What does Wendy mean?
Wendy is usually explained as “popularized by Peter Pan (origin debated)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Wendy?
Wendy was the 1347th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 165 babies. Its best year was 1970, when it ranked 28th; the most babies were born in 1967 (11,223). Over the last ten years it has moved down 403 places. More babies were named Wendy in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Wendy a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Wendy in the US.
Where is Wendy most popular?
In 2021–2025, Wendy was most common in Washington (0.27 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and Utah.