Total births
4,290
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.
- 4,290
- total births
- 1896–2020
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 18%
- born in that 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.
- 4,290 total births
- 1896–2020 years on record
- 1950s peak decade
- 18% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
4,290 boys have been named Wardell since 1896, peaking in the 1950s, last recorded in 2020.
- 4,290
- total births
- 1896–2020
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 18%
- born in that decade
1950s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Wardell was born in this single decade.
1950
Single peak year
87 babies were named Wardell in 1950 - its busiest year on record.
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 at a glance
Last recorded 2020Peak year
1950
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1896
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
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% |
Mississippi share of Wardell's total US births 11.7%
Even split
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? ▼
Since 1896, Social Security records show 4,290 babies named Wardell. The most recent recorded year was 2020. Its busiest year on record was 1950, with 87 births.
When was Wardell most popular? ▼
Wardell was most popular in the 1950s decade with 779 total births. The single peak year was 1950.
Where is Wardell most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Wardell are Mississippi (502 births), Louisiana (232 births), South Carolina (177 births).
How long has the name Wardell been used? ▼
Wardell has been recorded in Social Security data since 1896, spanning 125 years of data through 2020.
What names are similar to Wardell? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Warren, Ward, Warner, Warrick, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- 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 Wardell
Nearby Names Like Wardell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wardell
Warren Boy
#263 184,518 births
Ward Boy
#3272 15,026 births
Warner Boy
#1494 8,554 births
Warrick Boy
#4601 782 births
Warden Boy
#8376 360 births
Compare Wardell side by side: Wardell vs Warren Wardell vs Ward Wardell vs Warner
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1896–2020 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Wardell: Baby Name Since 1896 - 4,290 Births, Peak 1950." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/wardell. 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 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 June 2026.