Wanda
Wanda is a female given name of Polish origin. It probably derives from the tribal name of the Wends. The name has long been popular in Poland where the legend of Princess Wanda has been circulating since at least the 12th century. In 1947, Wanda was cited as the second most popular name, after Mary, for Polish girls, and the most popular from Polish secular history.
- Polish
- English
- German
- French
Meaning & Origin of Wanda
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Wanda is a female given name of Polish origin. It probably derives from the tribal name of the Wends. The name has long been popular in Poland where the legend of Princess Wanda has been circulating since at least the 12th century. In 1947, Wanda was cited as the second most popular name, after Mary, for Polish girls, and the most popular from Polish secular history.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Polish
- English
- German
- French
The Story of Wanda
The earliest SSA record of Wanda as a baby girl name dates back to 1880, when 11 babies received it. 1957 was its biggest year on record, with 7,712 newborns named Wanda — #59 in the national rankings. About 26% of every Wanda on record arrived during the 1950s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Wanda ranks #5,208 for baby girls with 25 births, gradually rising (+5%). All told, over 281K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Wanda
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Wanda. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Wanda
Phonetically similar names — useful when Wanda is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Wanda
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About the name Wanda
Wanda is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 281K births in the dataset. Wanda's peak popularity came in 1957 when it ranked #47. Use the chart and map above to compare Wanda's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1957 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "W" →
- Browse all girl names →
- 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.