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

Wendy, 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 Wendy surname is from the 2000 census data.

Popularity of Wendy in America

Wendy is the 122534th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wendy surname appeared 130 times in the 2000 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Wendy.

The history of the last name Wendy

The surname Wendy originates from England, specifically in the East Anglian region, encompassing counties such as Cambridgeshire. It is believed to have first emerged during the medieval period, around the 13th to 14th centuries. The name likely has geographical roots, being derived from the small village of Wendy in Cambridgeshire. This place name itself may come from Old English words "wend," meaning to wend or go, and "ēg," indicating an island or watery terrain, suggesting that Wendy was originally a descriptive term for a place near water.

One of the earliest references to the surname appears in historical records from the 14th century. The Poll Tax Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1377 mention a Richard de Wendy, who is believed to be one of the first known bearers of this name. The prefix "de" indicates geographic origin, linking Richard to the village of Wendy.

In the late 15th century, a notable figure was John Wendy, born around 1453 and recorded as a landowner in Cambridgeshire. His records highlight the continued use of the surname in connection with the region. By the early 16th century, the Wendy family had gained prominence in local governance, with John Wendy serving as a High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire in 1512.

During the 17th century, evidence of the Wendy surname appears in various parish records. William Wendy, born in 1634 in Norfolk, is another historical example. His marriage and baptismal records indicate the spreading of the surname beyond the immediate origin area of Cambridgeshire to surrounding counties, reflecting migration trends of the period.

In the 18th century, the Wendy name continued to be present in English records. Elizabeth Wendy, born in 1762, is recorded in the baptismal registers of St. Mary's Church in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, suggesting further geographic dissemination. Her descendants would carry the last name into the 19th century, maintaining the historical continuity of the surname.

The Wendy family history highlights the importance of place-based surnames in England’s medieval and early modern periods. Despite its limited use and relatively localized origin, the Wendy surname offers a window into England's historical patterns of naming and settlement.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wendy

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

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 2000 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Wendy 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.

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 Wendy was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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