Windale
A name of Old English origin meaning "meadow by the winding river".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Windale. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Windale today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Windale births was 1994 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Windale. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Windale. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1994
5 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
1994 SSA rank
#10,195
Tracked since 1994
Popularity
Windale: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Windale 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 Windale during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Windale
The name Windale has its roots in the Old English language and can be traced back to the 8th century AD. It is a compound word derived from the words "wind" and "dael," which translates to "valley of the wind." This suggests that the name was initially associated with people living in windswept valleys or regions known for strong winds.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Windale can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Windale," "Wyndall," and "Wyndel," indicating its usage during the Norman period.
In the 12th century, a notable figure bearing the name Windale was Windale of Evesham, a Benedictine monk and chronicler who lived from 1092 to 1163. He is known for his historical writings, including a chronicle detailing events from the Norman Conquest to his time.
During the 13th century, the name Windale gained prominence with Windale de Beaumont, a French nobleman and landowner who lived from 1208 to 1284. He was a prominent figure in the court of King Henry III and played a significant role in the political affairs of the time.
In the 15th century, Windale Chaucer, born in 1420 and died in 1489, was a notable English scholar and grandson of the famous poet Geoffrey Chaucer. He was known for his contributions to the field of literature and his translations of classical works.
Another notable figure bearing the name Windale was Windale Cartwright, an English clergyman and writer who lived from 1611 to 1673. He was a renowned preacher and author of several religious works, including "A Commentary on the Book of Proverbs" and "The Preacher's Travels."
While the name Windale has its origins in Old English, it has been used across various cultures and regions throughout history. These examples illustrate its rich heritage and the diverse individuals who have carried this name over the centuries.
People
Windale + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Windale 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
Windale: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Windale?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Windale 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 Windale a common name?
We classify Windale 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, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Windale most popular?
The single biggest year for Windale was 1994, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Windale is about 31 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 Windale in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Windale a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Windale 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 Windale still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Windale 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 Windale 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 people are called Windale?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.