Total births
262,325
Girls' name · since 1918
Wendy
Wendy has 262,325 recorded births since 1918 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1967 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1096
- among girls today
- 262,325
- born since 1918
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other girls
262,325 babies have been named Wendy since 1918, making it today's #1096 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Wendy recorded 262,325 times among girls since 1918, holding rank #1096 nationally today, ahead of 94% of girls, peaking in the 1960s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1918 to 2025.
- #1096 among girls today
- 262,325 born since 1918
- 1960s peak decade
- 94% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Wendy is currently the #1096 girls' name in America, more common than 94% of girls - 262,325 born since 1918, peaking in the 1960s.
- #1096
- among girls today
- 262,325
- born since 1918
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other girls
Wendy vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1096
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 94% of names given to girls today.
1960s
Peak decade
34% of everyone ever named Wendy was born in this single decade.
1967
Single peak year
11,223 babies were named Wendy in 1967 - its busiest year on record.
How Wendy compares
262,325 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
Wendy's all-time total is 687x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Wendy | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 262,325 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 11,223 | 48 | 19,840 |
Wendy's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Wendy's full recorded timeline at 1975, 29% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 71% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1918, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1967 peak of 11,223 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Wendy at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1967
Current rank
#1,096
Active since
1918
Wendy popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1918–2025
- Peak year (1967)
- 11,223
- Annual births at peak, across 108 years of records
Wendy popularity over time - boys
951 total births recorded since 1947 (Wendy as boys' name)
Wendy by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Wendy's strongest decade.
88,963 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Wendy births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1920s 45
1920s
45 births
- 1930s 583
1930s
583 births
- 1940s 8,423
1940s
8,423 births
- 1950s
1950s
42,675 births
- 1960s
1960s
88,963 births
- 1970s
1970s
74,185 births
- 1980s 22,268
1980s
22,268 births
- 1990s 11,080
1990s
11,080 births
- 2000s 9,577
2000s
9,577 births
- 2010s 3,371
2010s
3,371 births
- 2020s 1,150
2020s
1,150 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 88,963 births (34% of all-time use).
How Wendy 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 Wendy's total volume
Wendy vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Wendy by state
Where Wendy concentrates geographically, total births since 1918
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 36,078 | 13.8% |
| #2 | New York | | 24,320 | 9.3% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 15,315 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Texas | | 12,587 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 12,488 | 4.8% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 12,050 | 4.6% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 11,112 | 4.2% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 8,049 | 3.1% |
California share of Wendy's total US births 13.8%
Even split
36,078 of 262,325 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Wendy appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Wendy? ▼
262,325 babies have been named Wendy since 1918. It currently ranks #1096 among girls. The peak year was 1967 with 11,223 births.
When was Wendy most popular? ▼
Wendy was most popular in the 1960s decade with 88,963 total births. The single peak year was 1967.
Where is Wendy most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Wendy are California (36,078 births), New York (24,320 births), Pennsylvania (15,315 births).
How long has the name Wendy been used? ▼
Records for Wendy go back to 1918, giving 108 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Wendy? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Wendi, Wendie, Wende, Wenona, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Wendy's data
- Wendy's decade-level peak was the 1960s (88,963 total births); usage has since declined to 1,150 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Wendys (36,078 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Wendy
Nearby Names Like Wendy
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wendy
Wendi Girl
#9647 14,522 births
Wendie Girl
2,200 births
Wende Girl
1,377 births
Wenona Girl
1,168 births
Wendolyn Girl
1,166 births
Compare Wendy side by side: Wendy vs Wendi Wendy vs Wendie Wendy vs Wende
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Wendy
Sally #1095
205,229 births · Peak 1947
Kacey #1097
11,961 births · Peak 1991
Kamora #1094
4,147 births · Peak 2008
Adela #1098
14,105 births · Peak 2015
Laramie #1093
1,813 births · Peak 2024
Kathleen #1099
713,645 births · Peak 1951
Ivana #1092
8,042 births · Peak 2010
Lesly #1100
15,281 births · Peak 2003
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, 1918–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Wendy: #1096 Girls' Name - 262,325 Births, Peak 1967." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/wendy. 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 Wendy 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.