Waynard
An English masculine name meaning "prosperous wagoneer" or "wagon driver".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Waynard. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Waynard today is around 84 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Waynard births was 1940 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Waynard. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Waynard is about 84 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Waynards were born before 1952.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Waynard. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1940
5 babies that year
Average age
84
years old
1950 SSA rank
#4,178
Tracked since 1940
Popularity
Waynard: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Waynard from the 1940s through to the 1950s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Waynard by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Waynard during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Waynard
The given name Waynard is an English name with origins dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "wægen" meaning "wagon" and "herad" meaning "protector" or "guardian". The name was originally used to refer to wagon drivers or those responsible for protecting wagons and their cargo during long journeys.
In the early medieval period, the name Waynard was particularly prevalent in regions of England where trade routes and merchant caravans were common. It gained popularity as a name for boys born into families involved in transportation, trade, or guard duties related to wagon travel.
Waynard can also be traced back to the Old French name "Guaignard", which had a similar meaning and was brought to England by Norman settlers after the conquest of 1066. This French variation likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name in parts of England.
While no specific ancient texts or religious scriptures are directly associated with the name Waynard, it appears in several historical records and chronicles from the 12th and 13th centuries in England. These mentions often refer to individuals with the name who held roles related to transportation or guarding trade caravans.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Waynard was Sir Waynard de Bois, a knight from Nottinghamshire, England, who lived in the late 12th century. Another notable figure was Waynard Bryce, a merchant and wagon master from York, who was active in the early 13th century.
In the 14th century, Waynard Wycliffe, a clergyman and writer from Yorkshire, gained recognition for his religious works. Later, in the 15th century, Waynard Stafford served as a captain in the English army during the Wars of the Roses.
During the Tudor period in the 16th century, Waynard Winslow was a prominent merchant and ship owner from Bristol, England, who was involved in trade with the Americas.
While the name Waynard has become less common in modern times, it has a rich history rooted in the transportation and trade industries of medieval and early modern England.
People
Waynard + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Waynard as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Waynard: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Waynard?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Waynard going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Waynard a common name?
We classify Waynard as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Waynard most popular?
The single biggest year for Waynard was 1940, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Waynard is about 84 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Waynard in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Waynard a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Waynard in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Waynard still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Waynard in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Waynard can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Waynard?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.