Wendel
A masculine given name of Germanic origin meaning "wanderer" or "pilgrim".
Name Census estimates that about 1,238 living Americans carry the first name Wendel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Wendel today is around 57 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wendel births was 1940 (45 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wendel. 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.
People living today
1.2K
~ 1 in 276,861 Americans
Peak year
1940
45 babies that year
Average age
57
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,791
Tracked since 1911
Popularity
Wendel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Wendel from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 344 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Wendel 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 Wendel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Wendels live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. Texas, California, Illinois recorded the most babies named Wendel, while Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 15 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Wendel
The name Wendel has its origins in the Germanic language family, derived from the Old High German word "wandil," which means "to wander" or "to roam." It is believed to have emerged as a personal name during the Middle Ages, particularly in regions of present-day Germany and the Low Countries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wendel can be found in the 9th century, when it was mentioned in the Codex Laureshamensis, a medieval manuscript from the Lorsch Abbey in Germany. This document contains a list of landowners and tenants, including individuals with the name Wendel.
In the 12th century, a Benedictine monk named Wendel (or Wendelinus) lived in the region of Trier, Germany. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, and his feast day is celebrated on October 20th. According to legend, Wendel was known for his piety and his ability to perform miracles, particularly related to the protection of crops and livestock.
Another notable figure with the name Wendel was Wendel Hipler (1465-1526), a German humanist and theologian from Strasbourg. He was a prominent figure in the early years of the Protestant Reformation and a close associate of Martin Luther.
In the 17th century, Wendel Dietrich (1623-1689) was a German architect and military engineer who worked for various princes and nobility in the Holy Roman Empire. He is particularly known for his contributions to the design and fortification of cities and castles.
During the 19th century, Wendel Hibler (1811-1881) was a German-American pioneer and carpenter who settled in Wisconsin. He is credited with building one of the first frame houses in the city of Milwaukee and played a significant role in the early development of the area.
As the name Wendel spread throughout Europe and beyond, it has taken on various spellings and variations, such as Wendell, Wendelin, and Wendelinus. However, its underlying meaning and association with wandering or roaming have remained consistent throughout its historical usage.
People
Wendel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wendel 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
Wendel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wendel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,238 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wendel 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 276,861 US residents.
Is Wendel a common name?
We classify Wendel as "Rare". It ranks above 91.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,142 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wendel most popular?
The single biggest year for Wendel was 1940, when 45 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wendel is about 57 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Wendel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wendel 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.
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.