Wenzel
Wenzel is a male given name as the German and Old English form of the Czech given name Václav or Venceslav, meaning "praised with glory". Variations are Вячеслав, Vencel (Hungarian), Wacław, Więcław, Wiesław (Polish), Venceslas/Wenceslas (French), Venceslao (Italian), Venceslau (Portuguese), Wenceslao (Spanish).
- German
Meaning & Origin of Wenzel
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Wenzel is a male given name as the German and Old English form of the Czech given name Václav or Venceslav, meaning "praised with glory". Variations are Вячеслав, Vencel (Hungarian), Wacław, Więcław, Wiesław (Polish), Venceslas/Wenceslas (French), Venceslao (Italian), Venceslau (Portuguese), Wenceslao (Spanish).
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- German
The Story of Wenzel
The earliest SSA record of Wenzel as a baby boy name dates back to 1882, when 6 babies received it. 1921 was its biggest year on record, with 13 newborns named Wenzel — #2,376 in the national rankings. About 38% of every Wenzel on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. Wenzel last appeared in the published SSA data in 2022, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 147 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Wenzel
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Wenzel. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Wenzeslaus
Names that sound like Wenzel
Phonetically similar names — useful when Wenzel 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 Wenzel
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About the name Wenzel
Wenzel is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1882 and has accumulated 147 births in the dataset. Wenzel's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #2,376. Use the chart and map above to compare Wenzel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1921 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "W" →
- 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.