Total births
281,214
Girls' name · since 1880
Wanda
Wanda has 281,214 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1957 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #5023
- among girls today
- 281,214
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 72%
- more common than other girls
Wanda currently ranks #5023 among girls' names in America, with 281,214 babies recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Wanda recorded 281,214 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #5023 nationally today, ahead of 72% of girls, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #5023 among girls today
- 281,214 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 72% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Wanda is currently the #5023 girls' name in America, more common than 72% of girls - 281,214 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #5023
- among girls today
- 281,214
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 72%
- more common than other girls
Wanda vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#5023
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 72% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
26% of everyone ever named Wanda was born in this single decade.
1957
Single peak year
7,713 babies were named Wanda in 1957 - its busiest year on record.
How Wanda compares
281,214 Top 1% higher than 99% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Wanda's all-time total is 736x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Wanda | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 281,214 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 7,713 | 48 | 19,840 |
Wanda's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Wanda splits its recorded history at 1953: 42% of all births land in the more recent half, 58% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1883 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1957 peak of 7,713 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Wanda at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1957
Current rank
#5,023
Active since
1880
Wanda popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1957)
- 7,713
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Wanda popularity over time - boys
972 total births recorded since 1917 (Wanda as boys' name)
Wanda by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Wanda's strongest decade.
72,448 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Wanda births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 143
1880s
143 births
- 1890s 626
1890s
626 births
- 1900s 1,527
1900s
1,527 births
- 1910s 10,735
1910s
10,735 births
- 1920s
1920s
36,007 births
- 1930s
1930s
43,072 births
- 1940s
1940s
50,775 births
- 1950s
1950s
72,448 births
- 1960s
1960s
47,771 births
- 1970s 13,280
1970s
13,280 births
- 1980s 2,873
1980s
2,873 births
- 1990s 1,095
1990s
1,095 births
- 2000s 479
2000s
479 births
- 2010s 239
2010s
239 births
- 2020s 144
2020s
144 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 72,448 births (26% of all-time use).
How Wanda compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Wanda's total volume
Wanda vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Wanda by state
Where Wanda concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 22,954 | 8.2% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 14,642 | 5.2% |
| #3 | Kentucky | | 14,265 | 5.1% |
| #4 | Tennessee | | 14,008 | 5.0% |
| #5 | Oklahoma | | 13,135 | 4.7% |
| #6 | New York | | 12,098 | 4.3% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 11,728 | 4.2% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 11,527 | 4.1% |
Texas share of Wanda's total US births 8.2%
Even split
22,954 of 281,214 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Wanda appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Wanda? ▼
281,214 babies have been named Wanda since 1880. It currently ranks #5023 among girls. The peak year was 1957 with 7,713 births.
When was Wanda most popular? ▼
Wanda was most popular in the 1950s decade with 72,448 total births. The single peak year was 1957.
Where is Wanda most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Wanda are Texas (22,954 births), North Carolina (14,642 births), Kentucky (14,265 births).
How long has the name Wanda been used? ▼
Records for Wanda go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Wanda? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Wanita, Waneta, Wanetta, Wanna, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Wanda's data
- Wanda's decade-level peak was the 1950s (72,448 total births); usage has since declined to 144 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Wandas (22,954 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Wanda
Nearby Names Like Wanda
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wanda
Wanita Girl
#13534 2,534 births
Waneta Girl
2,466 births
Wanetta Girl
1,114 births
Wanna Girl
550 births
Wanza Girl
418 births
Compare Wanda side by side: Wanda vs Wanita Wanda vs Waneta Wanda vs Wanetta
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Wanda
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Wanda: #5023 Girls' Name - 281,214 Births, Peak 1957." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/wanda. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Wanda 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 June 2026.