Total births
53,763
Boys' name · since 1880
Wendell
Wendell has 53,763 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1940 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2042
- among boys today
- 53,763
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Wendell is the #2042 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 53,763 recorded since 1880.
Wendell has 53,763 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2042 as of the latest data, more common than 86% of boys, 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 1880 to 2025.
- #2042 among boys today
- 53,763 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 86% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Wendell is currently the #2042 boys' name in America, more common than 86% of boys - 53,763 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #2042
- among boys today
- 53,763
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other boys
Wendell vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2042
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 86% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Wendell was born in this single decade.
1940
Single peak year
1,625 babies were named Wendell in 1940 - its busiest year on record.
How Wendell compares
53,763 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Wendell's all-time total is 146x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Wendell | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 53,763 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,625 | 23 | 22,252 |
Wendell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Wendell's full recorded timeline at 1953, 49% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 51% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1889, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1940 peak of 1,625 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Wendell at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1940
Current rank
#2,042
Active since
1880
Wendell popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1940)
- 1,625
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Wendell popularity over time - girls
567 total births recorded since 1913 (Wendell as girls' name)
Wendell by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Wendell's strongest decade.
9,904 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Wendell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 83
1880s
83 births
- 1890s 182
1890s
182 births
- 1900s 366
1900s
366 births
- 1910s 3,431
1910s
3,431 births
- 1920s
1920s
6,226 births
- 1930s
1930s
6,217 births
- 1940s
1940s
8,378 births
- 1950s
1950s
9,904 births
- 1960s
1960s
8,968 births
- 1970s 3,714
1970s
3,714 births
- 1980s 2,615
1980s
2,615 births
- 1990s 1,555
1990s
1,555 births
- 2000s 904
2000s
904 births
- 2010s 731
2010s
731 births
- 2020s 489
2020s
489 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 9,904 births (18% of all-time use).
How Wendell 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 Wendell's total volume
Wendell vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Wendell by state
Where Wendell concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 3,336 | 6.2% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 2,807 | 5.2% |
| #3 | Kentucky | | 2,733 | 5.1% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 2,647 | 4.9% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 2,256 | 4.2% |
| #6 | California | | 2,125 | 4.0% |
| #7 | Tennessee | | 1,922 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 1,853 | 3.4% |
Texas share of Wendell's total US births 6.2%
Even split
3,336 of 53,763 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 48 reporting states.
Wendell appears in 48 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Wendell? ▼
53,763 babies have been named Wendell since 1880. It currently ranks #2042 among boys. The peak year was 1940 with 1,625 births.
When was Wendell most popular? ▼
Wendell was most popular in the 1950s decade with 9,904 total births. The single peak year was 1940.
Where is Wendell most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Wendell are Texas (3,336 births), Georgia (2,807 births), Kentucky (2,733 births).
How long has the name Wendell been used? ▼
Wendell has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Wendell? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Wendall, Wendel, Wendy, Wenceslao, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Wendell's data
- Wendell's decade-level peak was the 1950s (9,904 total births); usage has since declined to 489 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Wendells (3,336 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 Wendell
Nearby Names Like Wendell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wendell
Wendall Boy
#9029 2,433 births
Wendel Boy
#9044 2,147 births
Wendy Boy
951 births
Wenceslao Boy
332 births
Wendal Boy
194 births
Compare Wendell side by side: Wendell vs Wendall Wendell vs Wendel Wendell vs Wendy
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Wendell
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. "Wendell: #2042 Boys' Name - 53,763 Births, Peak 1940." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/wendell. 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 Wendell 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.