Find out how popular the last name Wendell is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Wendell.

Wendell, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Wendell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wendell in America

Wendell is the 8244th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wendell surname appeared 4,020 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Wendell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wendell to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Wendell

The surname Wendell has its origins in Germany and is a locational name derived from the place name Wendel in Rhineland-Palatinate. The name is believed to have originated from the Old High German word "winda," meaning "to turn or wind," possibly referring to a winding road or path.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 11th century, when a "Reinherus de Wendele" was mentioned in a document from the region of Saarland, Germany. The name was also found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the Rhineland area, where it appeared as "Wendelen" and "Wendel."

In the Domesday Book, a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, the name is not directly mentioned. However, there are references to places with similar names, such as Wendover in Buckinghamshire and Wennington in Essex.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Wendell was Johann Wendell (c. 1560-1630), a German theologian and professor at the University of Wittenberg. Another notable figure was Cornelius Wendell (1594-1666), a Dutch merchant and early settler in the New Netherland colony, now known as New York.

In the 17th century, members of the Wendell family immigrated to the American colonies, and the name became established in New England. One of the most prominent figures was Jacob Wendell (1691-1759), a wealthy merchant and landowner in Boston, who served as a member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council.

Other notable individuals with the surname Wendell include Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (1809-1894), an American physician, professor, and author, best known for his series of essays published as "The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table." His son, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (1841-1935), was a renowned jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Additionally, the name is associated with Wendell Willkie (1892-1944), an American businessman and political figure who was the Republican nominee for president in 1940, and Wendell Berry (born 1934), an American novelist, poet, and environmental activist.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wendell

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Wendell.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Wendell was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Wendell has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Wendell was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Wendell, please contact us.

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