Wainwright
Wainwright is an Anglo-Saxon occupational surname derived from the pre-7th century Old English word waegnwyrhta. The prefix, "waeg(e)n/waen, refers to a vehicle/wagon, common in its time as being horse-driven and four-wheeled. The suffix, wyrhta/wright, refers to a maker/builder. The earliest public record of the name dates to 1237 in Essex.
Meaning & Origin of Wainwright
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Wainwright is an Anglo-Saxon occupational surname derived from the pre-7th century Old English word waegnwyrhta. The prefix, "waeg(e)n/waen, refers to a vehicle/wagon, common in its time as being horse-driven and four-wheeled. The suffix, wyrhta/wright, refers to a maker/builder. The earliest public record of the name dates to 1237 in Essex.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Wainwright
Wainwright first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1942, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1942, when 6 Wainwrights were born — ranking #3,212 that year. As of 2026, Wainwright ranks #3,212 for baby boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 6 Wainwrights have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Wainwright
Phonetically similar names — useful when Wainwright is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Weinert
- Minorite
- Winery
- Wineries
- Waner
- Winnett
- Wainer
- Wheelwright
- Wynette
- Whinery
- Winrow
- Wearout
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Wainwright
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About the name Wainwright
Wainwright is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1942 and has accumulated 6 births in the dataset. Wainwright's peak popularity came in 1942 when it ranked #3,212. Use the chart and map above to compare Wainwright's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1942 →
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- Names starting with "W" →
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- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.