Fun Facts About the Name Wendy
- A favorite of earlier generations: Wendy appeared in the U.S. top 100 in 2 separate runs, totaling 26 years. Its last run lasted 23 consecutive years, from 1959 through 1981.
- More than 263 thousand babies named Wendy: U.S. records list 263,277 babies given the name Wendy from 1880 through 2025. Even 951 boys received the name Wendy - about 1 boy for every 276 girls.
What Does the Name Wendy Mean?
Wendy is an English given name whose meaning is uncertain. It does not descend from a single ancient name with an agreed root, and name references give more than one explanation.
One common explanation treats Wendy as a pet form of the Welsh name Gwendolen (also spelled Gwendolyn). That name is built from the Welsh elements gwen, meaning "white, fair, or blessed," and dolen, meaning "ring" or "link"; it is often rendered "white ring" or "fair bow." Whether Wendy actually grew out of Gwendolen, or was only attached to it later because the two sound alike, is not settled.
A second explanation ties the name to the English word "friend." In the traditional account, a small child who could not yet pronounce the letter r called the Scottish writer J. M. Barrie her "fwendy," that is, "friendly." If this is the source, the sense behind the name is closer to "friend" than to any older root. The story appears in many name references but rests on anecdote rather than firm documentation.
Wendy Name History & Origins
Wendy is a comparatively modern English given name whose wider use belongs to the 20th century. It is best known through J. M. Barrie's play Peter Pan, first staged in 1904, in which Wendy Darling is the eldest of the Darling children, and through the novel Barrie made from it, Peter and Wendy (1911). Because the play and book were so widely read and performed, the name Wendy became familiar throughout the English-speaking world.
Barrie was a friend of the poet William Ernest Henley and his family. Henley's young daughter Margaret is said to have called Barrie "fwendy" or "my fwendy" because she could not yet say "friend," and she died in 1894. This anecdote is often given as Barrie's reason for choosing the name Wendy. It is a traditional account rather than a documented record of where the name came from.
Separately from the literary association, Wendy has been explained as an English short form of the Welsh name Gwendolen, which would give it a different line of development. The link between the two is a matter of interpretation, and no single origin is agreed.
How Popular is the Name Wendy?
Wendy recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1967. Wendy ranked among the top 100 U.S. names from 1954 through 1956, then returned in 1959 and remained through 1981.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,347 | 165 | 0.0103% |
| 2024 | #1,097 | 224 | 0.0139% |
| 2023 | #1,301 | 176 | 0.0110% |
| 2022 | #1,255 | 192 | 0.0117% |
| 2021 | #1,214 | 196 | 0.0120% |
| 2020 | #1,187 | 196 | 0.0121% |
| 2019 | #1,107 | 222 | 0.0132% |
| 2018 | #970 | 273 | 0.0161% |
| 2017 | #1,101 | 230 | 0.0133% |
| 2016 | #860 | 328 | 0.0185% |
| 2015 | #944 | 288 | 0.0161% |
| 2014 | #782 | 359 | 0.0201% |
| 2013 | #707 | 395 | 0.0225% |
| 2012 | #769 | 359 | 0.0204% |
| 2011 | #676 | 419 | 0.0238% |
| 2010 | #591 | 498 | 0.0280% |
| 2009 | #504 | 600 | 0.0327% |
| 2008 | #461 | 688 | 0.0364% |
| 2007 | #382 | 864 | 0.0449% |
| 2006 | #355 | 930 | 0.0489% |
| 2005 | #350 | 901 | 0.0488% |
| 2004 | #308 | 1,039 | 0.0566% |
| 2003 | #286 | 1,087 | 0.0595% |
| 2002 | #261 | 1,209 | 0.0673% |
| 2001 | #253 | 1,255 | 0.0697% |
| 2000 | #317 | 1,004 | 0.0553% |
| 1999 | #337 | 899 | 0.0507% |
| 1998 | #339 | 867 | 0.0491% |
| 1997 | #321 | 907 | 0.0521% |
| 1996 | #297 | 969 | 0.0553% |
| 1995 | #265 | 1,039 | 0.0591% |
| 1994 | #246 | 1,131 | 0.0633% |
| 1993 | #219 | 1,258 | 0.0695% |
| 1992 | #222 | 1,269 | 0.0688% |
| 1991 | #216 | 1,343 | 0.0716% |
| 1990 | #206 | 1,397 | 0.0736% |
| 1989 | #198 | 1,341 | 0.0727% |
| 1988 | #203 | 1,292 | 0.0726% |
| 1987 | #200 | 1,356 | 0.0780% |
| 1986 | #177 | 1,517 | 0.0884% |
| 1985 | #162 | 1,781 | 0.1035% |
| 1984 | #146 | 2,024 | 0.1202% |
| 1983 | #125 | 2,388 | 0.1429% |
| 1982 | #105 | 2,821 | 0.1666% |
| 1981 | #90 | 3,608 | 0.2163% |
| 1980 | #75 | 4,141 | 0.2494% |
| 1979 | #64 | 4,500 | 0.2803% |
| 1978 | #56 | 4,918 | 0.3210% |
| 1977 | #49 | 5,764 | 0.3760% |
| 1976 | #39 | 6,464 | 0.4412% |
| 1975 | #33 | 7,473 | 0.5126% |
| 1974 | #32 | 7,564 | 0.5154% |
| 1973 | #29 | 7,811 | 0.5357% |
| 1972 | #29 | 8,529 | 0.5607% |
| 1971 | #29 | 10,063 | 0.6048% |
| 1970 | #28 | 11,100 | 0.6350% |
| 1969 | #29 | 10,624 | 0.6298% |
| 1968 | #31 | 10,710 | 0.6529% |
| 1967 | #32 | 11,222 | 0.6797% |
| 1966 | #41 | 9,515 | 0.5623% |
| 1965 | #39 | 10,481 | 0.5938% |
| 1964 | #55 | 8,077 | 0.4263% |
| 1963 | #60 | 7,333 | 0.3805% |
| 1962 | #64 | 6,979 | 0.3549% |
| 1961 | #61 | 7,152 | 0.3543% |
| 1960 | #63 | 6,871 | 0.3398% |
| 1959 | #83 | 5,713 | 0.2823% |
| 1958 | #107 | 4,484 | 0.2229% |
| 1957 | #101 | 4,700 | 0.2298% |
| 1956 | #95 | 4,861 | 0.2421% |
| 1955 | #90 | 4,955 | 0.2534% |
| 1954 | #95 | 4,415 | 0.2274% |
| 1953 | #110 | 3,616 | 0.1922% |
| 1952 | #105 | 3,556 | 0.1918% |
| 1951 | #110 | 3,345 | 0.1857% |
| 1950 | #114 | 3,030 | 0.1769% |
| 1949 | #122 | 2,612 | 0.1527% |
| 1948 | #182 | 1,517 | 0.0893% |
| 1947 | #241 | 974 | 0.0549% |
| 1946 | #262 | 762 | 0.0485% |
| 1945 | #290 | 575 | 0.0440% |
| 1944 | #321 | 447 | 0.0337% |
| 1943 | #331 | 455 | 0.0326% |
| 1942 | #317 | 481 | 0.0356% |
| 1941 | #359 | 346 | 0.0286% |
| 1940 | #428 | 254 | 0.0222% |
| 1939 | #451 | 222 | 0.0202% |
| 1938 | #602 | 130 | 0.0118% |
| 1937 | #767 | 80 | 0.0075% |
| 1936 | #826 | 67 | 0.0064% |
| 1935 | #1,447 | 27 | 0.0026% |
| 1934 | #2,919 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1933 | #2,865 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1932 | #2,825 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1931 | #3,219 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1930 | #2,106 | 17 | 0.0015% |
| 1929 | #3,674 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1928 | #5,415 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1927 | #2,336 | 16 | 0.0013% |
| 1923 | #3,631 | 9 | 0.0007% |
| 1921 | #4,445 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1918 | #5,562 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | #14,239 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #13,935 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2004 | #9,897 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #10,842 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #8,306 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #7,381 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1999 | #9,860 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #9,219 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #5,965 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #6,968 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1994 | #6,950 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1993 | #4,440 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1991 | #2,824 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 1990 | #3,770 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1989 | #3,323 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1988 | #4,770 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1987 | #3,331 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1986 | #2,426 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 1985 | #3,213 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1984 | #5,534 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #3,877 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1982 | #2,968 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1981 | #2,203 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1980 | #2,614 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1979 | #2,046 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 1978 | #2,664 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1977 | #1,858 | 28 | 0.0017% |
| 1976 | #1,826 | 28 | 0.0018% |
| 1975 | #1,702 | 30 | 0.0019% |
| 1974 | #1,745 | 28 | 0.0018% |
| 1973 | #1,653 | 29 | 0.0019% |
| 1972 | #1,471 | 34 | 0.0021% |
| 1971 | #1,493 | 34 | 0.0019% |
| 1970 | #1,296 | 42 | 0.0023% |
| 1969 | #1,602 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 1968 | #1,572 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 1967 | #1,273 | 36 | 0.0021% |
| 1966 | #1,371 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 1965 | #1,594 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 1964 | #1,699 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 1963 | #1,790 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1962 | #1,712 | 23 | 0.0011% |
| 1961 | #2,237 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 1960 | #1,811 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1959 | #2,407 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1958 | #2,024 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1957 | #2,016 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1956 | #2,359 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1955 | #2,429 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1954 | #3,168 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1953 | #2,525 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1952 | #3,720 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1951 | #4,236 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1950 | #2,764 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1947 | #4,249 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Wendy
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
Past Favorite Girl Names
Explore More Lists with Name Wendy
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with W
Short Girl Names That Start with W
How the Name Wendy Shapes Your Personality and Life?
To express itself, you must follow the divine law of love. You have great persistence and hate to give up. You are a good mixer, charming, magnetic and intuitive. The spirituality is the key to success. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Wendy's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Wendy's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.