Boys' name · since 1896
Wardell
Wardell has 4,290 recorded births since 1896 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1950 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1,975 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 4,290
- born since 1896
- 1950s
- peak decade
Wardell is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 4,290 have been recorded since 1896.
Wardell has 4,290 recorded births among boys since 1896, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1896 to 2020.
- #1,975 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 4,290 born since 1896
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Wardell ranks #1,975 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 4,290 born since 1896, peaking in the 1950s.
- #1,975 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 4,290
- born since 1896
- 1950s
- peak decade
Wardell's 4,290 recorded births place it above 95.65% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
19 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Mississippi.
Wardell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Wardell splits its recorded history at 1960: 32% of all births land in the more recent half, 68% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1907 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1950 peak of 87 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Wardell popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1896–2020
- Peak year (1950)
- 87
- Annual births at peak, across 125 years of records
Wardell popularity over time - girls
36 total births recorded since 1918 (Wardell as girls' name)
Wardell by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (779 births, 18% of the file).
1950s was Wardell's strongest decade.
779 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Wardell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 7
1890s
7 births
- 1900s 51
1900s
51 births
- 1910s 297
1910s
297 births
- 1920s
1920s
549 births
- 1930s
1930s
545 births
- 1940s
1940s
676 births
- 1950s
1950s
779 births
- 1960s
1960s
496 births
- 1970s
1970s
355 births
- 1980s 258
1980s
258 births
- 1990s 135
1990s
135 births
- 2000s 89
2000s
89 births
- 2010s 48
2010s
48 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 779 births (18% of all-time use).
How Wardell compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Wardell's total volume
Wardell by state
Where Wardell concentrates geographically, total births since 1896
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mississippi | | 502 | 11.7% |
| #2 | Louisiana | | 232 | 5.4% |
| #3 | South Carolina | | 177 | 4.1% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 173 | 4.0% |
| #5 | Texas | | 92 | 2.1% |
| #6 | Arkansas | | 84 | 2.0% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 81 | 1.9% |
| #8 | Virginia | | 45 | 1.0% |
502 of 4,290 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 19 reporting states.
Wardell appears in 19 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Wardell? ▼
Where does Wardell sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Wardell most popular? ▼
Where is Wardell most popular? ▼
How long has the name Wardell been used? ▼
What names are similar to Wardell? ▼
What to do with Wardell's data
- Wardell's decade-level peak was the 1950s (779 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Mississippi records the most Wardells (502 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Mississippi names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Wardell
Nearby Names Like Wardell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wardell
Compare Wardell side by side: Wardell vs Warren Wardell vs Ward Wardell vs Warner
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Wardell: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1950)
Similar record span (~124 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, 1896–2020 (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 Wardell 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.