Boys' name · since 1915
Wadell
316 babies named Wadell in U.S. Social Security records since 1915, with the highest year being 1932. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #10,301 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 316
- born since 1915
- 1950s
- peak decade
Wadell is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 316 have been recorded since 1915.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Wadell has been recorded 316 times among boys since 1915, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 1995.
- #10,301 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 316 born since 1915
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Wadell ranks #10,301 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 316 born since 1915, peaking in the 1950s.
- #10,301 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 316
- born since 1915
- 1950s
- peak decade
Wadell's 316 recorded births place it above 77.34% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Wadell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Wadell splits its recorded history at 1950: 50% of all births land in the more recent half, 50% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1915 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1932 peak of 14 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Wadell popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–1995
- Peak year (1932)
- 14
- Annual births at peak, across 81 years of records
Wadell by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (81 births, 26% of the file).
1950s was Wadell's strongest decade.
81 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Wadell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 20
1910s
20 births
- 1920s
1920s
45 births
- 1930s
1930s
48 births
- 1940s
1940s
46 births
- 1950s
1950s
81 births
- 1960s
1960s
46 births
- 1970s 20
1970s
20 births
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
- 1990s 5
1990s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 81 births (26% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Wadell's data
- Wadell's decade-level peak was the 1950s (81 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Wadell
Nearby Names Like Wadell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wadell
Compare Wadell side by side: Wadell vs Wade Wadell vs Waddell Wadell vs Wadie
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Wadell: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1932)
Similar record span (~80 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1915–1995 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Wadell draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.