Wendell
Wendell is an alternate spelling of Wendel, a surname of Germanic origin. It is also a masculine given name in the United States, often given to commemorate poet Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809–1894) or his son Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841–1935), a famous justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Wendell was the maiden name of Sarah Holmes, mother of Oliver Wendell Holmes.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Wendell
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Wendell is an alternate spelling of Wendel, a surname of Germanic origin. It is also a masculine given name in the United States, often given to commemorate poet Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809–1894) or his son Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841–1935), a famous justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Wendell was the maiden name of Sarah Holmes, mother of Oliver Wendell Holmes.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Wendell
Wendell first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1940, when 1,625 Wendells were born — ranking #114 that year. As of 2026, Wendell ranks #1,856 for baby boys with 88 births, rising sharply (+17% over the past five years). In total, more than 54K Wendells have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Wendell
Phonetically similar names — useful when Wendell 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 Wendell
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About the name Wendell
Wendell is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 54K births in the dataset. Wendell's peak popularity came in 1940 when it ranked #114. Use the chart and map above to compare Wendell's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1940 →
- Names of the 1940s →
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- Browse all boy 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.