Total births
2,147
Boys' name · since 1911
Wendel
2,147 babies named Wendel in U.S. Social Security records since 1911, with the highest year being 1940. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #9044
- among boys today
- 2,147
- born since 1911
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Wendel is the #9044 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 2,147 recorded since 1911.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Wendel has been recorded 2,147 times among boys since 1911, currently ranked #9044 nationally and more common than 37% of boys, 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 1911 to 2025.
- #9044 among boys today
- 2,147 born since 1911
- 1950s peak decade
- 37% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Wendel is currently the #9044 boys' name in America, more common than 37% of boys - 2,147 born since 1911, peaking in the 1950s.
- #9044
- among boys today
- 2,147
- born since 1911
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other boys
Wendel vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#9044
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 37% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Wendel was born in this single decade.
1940
Single peak year
45 babies were named Wendel in 1940 - its busiest year on record.
How Wendel compares
2,147 Top 20% higher than 80% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Wendel's all-time total is 6x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Wendel | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,147 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 45 | 23 | 22,252 |
Wendel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Wendel's SSA record in two at 1964 and the more recent half accounts for 33% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 67%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1911, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1940 peak of 45, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Wendel at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1940
Current rank
#9,044
Active since
1911
Wendel popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1911–2025
- Peak year (1940)
- 45
- Annual births at peak, across 115 years of records
Wendel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Wendel's strongest decade.
344 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Wendel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s
1910s
140 births
- 1920s
1920s
243 births
- 1930s
1930s
294 births
- 1940s
1940s
297 births
- 1950s
1950s
344 births
- 1960s
1960s
266 births
- 1970s
1970s
218 births
- 1980s 131
1980s
131 births
- 1990s 71
1990s
71 births
- 2000s 55
2000s
55 births
- 2010s 50
2010s
50 births
- 2020s 38
2020s
38 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 344 births (16% of all-time use).
How Wendel 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 Wendel's total volume
Wendel vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Wendel by state
Where Wendel concentrates geographically, total births since 1911
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 80 | 3.7% |
| #2 | California | | 16 | 0.7% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 11 | 0.5% |
| #4 | Missouri | | 6 | 0.3% |
| #5 | Indiana | | 5 | 0.2% |
| #6 | Kentucky | | 5 | 0.2% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 5 | 0.2% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 5 | 0.2% |
Texas share of Wendel's total US births 3.7%
Even split
80 of 2,147 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 9 reporting states.
Wendel appears in 9 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Wendel? ▼
2,147 babies have been named Wendel since 1911. It currently ranks #9044 among boys. The peak year was 1940 with 45 births.
When was Wendel most popular? ▼
Wendel was most popular in the 1950s decade with 344 total births. The single peak year was 1940.
Where is Wendel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Wendel are Texas (80 births), California (16 births), Illinois (11 births).
How long has the name Wendel been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Wendel since 1911 -- 115 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Wendel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Wendell, Wendall, Wendy, Wenceslao, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Wendel's data
- Wendel's decade-level peak was the 1950s (344 total births); usage has since declined to 38 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Wendels (80 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 Wendel
Nearby Names Like Wendel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wendel
Wendell Boy
#2042 53,763 births
Wendall Boy
#9029 2,433 births
Wendy Boy
951 births
Wenceslao Boy
332 births
Wendal Boy
194 births
Compare Wendel side by side: Wendel vs Wendell Wendel vs Wendall Wendel vs Wendy
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Wendel
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, 1911–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Wendel: #9044 Boys' Name - 2,147 Births, Peak 1940." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/wendel. 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 Wendel 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.