Wendy
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- WEN-dee
- Origin
- English
- UK rank, 2025
- #1,868 for girls
- US rank, 2025
- #1,341 for girls
Wendy is a girls' name of English origin. In 2025 it ranked 1,868th for girls in the UK (16 babies) and 1,341st for girls in the US (165 babies).
What does Wendy mean?
English: popularised by J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan
Popularised by J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan (1904), reportedly inspired by a young friend who called him fwendy-wendy.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Wendy a girl's or a boy's name?
Wendy is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 16 girls in the UK and 165 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Wendy in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,868among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 16about 1 in 17,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 10% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 16 girls in the UK were named Wendy, making it the 1,868th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,526th. Its busiest year was 1997, with 32 girls.
Half of all the girls named Wendy in the UK since 1996 were born between 2000 and 2016. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
Among girls in 2025, it was 1,809th in England and Wales.
In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1934 (#90), 1944 (#29), 1954 (#32), 1964 (#23) and 1974 (#51).
Wendy in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 16 | #1,868 |
| 2024 | 14 | #2,057 |
| 2023 | 15 | #1,955 |
| 2022 | 17 | #1,794 |
| 2021 | 12 | #2,325 |
| 2020 | 21 | #1,526 |
| 2019 | 14 | #2,052 |
| 2018 | 15 | #2,000 |
| 2017 | 11 | #2,485 |
| 2016 | 19 | #1,724 |
| 2015 | 28 | #1,276 |
| 2014 | 16 | #1,895 |
| 2013 | 17 | #1,798 |
| 2012 | 17 | #1,828 |
| 2011 | 19 | #1,629 |
| 2010 | 12 | #2,234 |
| 2009 | 19 | #1,556 |
| 2008 | 17 | #1,679 |
| 2007 | 21 | #1,374 |
| 2006 | 17 | #1,545 |
| 2005 | 26 | #1,048 |
| 2004 | 23 | #1,112 |
| 2003 | 19 | #1,263 |
| 2002 | 18 | #1,225 |
| 2001 | 21 | #1,070 |
| 2000 | 22 | #1,043 |
| 1999 | 32 | #787 |
| 1998 | 31 | #813 |
| 1997 | 32 | #797 |
| 1996 | 31 | #798 |
How popular is Wendy in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,341among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 165about 1 in 9,700 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 18% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 165 girls in the US were named Wendy, making it the 1,341st most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,183rd. Its busiest year was 1967, with 11,223 girls. It first appears in the records in 1918.
2025 had fewer girls named Wendy than any year since 1938.
Half of all the girls named Wendy in the US since 1880 were born between 1961 and 1976, the years shaded on the chart below.
Wendy in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 165 | #1,341 |
| 2024 | 225 | #1,095 |
| 2023 | 176 | #1,300 |
| 2022 | 192 | #1,251 |
| 2021 | 196 | #1,211 |
| 2020 | 196 | #1,183 |
| 2019 | 222 | #1,103 |
| 2018 | 273 | #968 |
| 2017 | 230 | #1,098 |
| 2016 | 328 | #858 |
| 2015 | 288 | #941 |
| 2014 | 359 | #780 |
| 2013 | 395 | #707 |
| 2012 | 359 | #768 |
| 2011 | 419 | #674 |
| 2010 | 498 | #589 |
| 2009 | 600 | #503 |
| 2008 | 688 | #460 |
| 2007 | 864 | #381 |
| 2006 | 930 | #355 |
| 2005 | 901 | #350 |
| 2004 | 1,039 | #307 |
| 2003 | 1,087 | #286 |
| 2002 | 1,209 | #261 |
| 2001 | 1,255 | #253 |
| 2000 | 1,004 | #316 |
| 1999 | 899 | #337 |
| 1998 | 867 | #339 |
| 1997 | 907 | #321 |
| 1996 | 969 | #297 |
| 1995 | 1,039 | #265 |
| 1994 | 1,131 | #244 |
| 1993 | 1,259 | #218 |
| 1992 | 1,269 | #222 |
| 1991 | 1,343 | #216 |
| 1990 | 1,397 | #206 |
| 1989 | 1,341 | #198 |
| 1988 | 1,292 | #202 |
| 1987 | 1,356 | #200 |
| 1986 | 1,517 | #177 |
| 1985 | 1,781 | #161 |
| 1984 | 2,024 | #146 |
| 1983 | 2,388 | #125 |
| 1982 | 2,820 | #105 |
| 1981 | 3,608 | #90 |
| 1980 | 4,141 | #75 |
| 1979 | 4,500 | #64 |
| 1978 | 4,918 | #56 |
| 1977 | 5,764 | #49 |
| 1976 | 6,464 | #39 |
| 1975 | 7,473 | #33 |
| 1974 | 7,564 | #32 |
| 1973 | 7,810 | #29 |
| 1972 | 8,529 | #29 |
| 1971 | 10,063 | #29 |
| 1970 | 11,100 | #28 |
| 1969 | 10,624 | #29 |
| 1968 | 10,709 | #31 |
| 1967 | 11,223 | #32 |
| 1966 | 9,516 | #41 |
| 1965 | 10,481 | #39 |
| 1964 | 8,076 | #55 |
| 1963 | 7,333 | #60 |
| 1962 | 6,977 | #64 |
| 1961 | 7,154 | #61 |
| 1960 | 6,870 | #63 |
| 1959 | 5,712 | #83 |
| 1958 | 4,485 | #107 |
| 1957 | 4,700 | #101 |
| 1956 | 4,861 | #95 |
| 1955 | 4,955 | #90 |
| 1954 | 4,415 | #95 |
| 1953 | 3,616 | #110 |
| 1952 | 3,556 | #105 |
| 1951 | 3,345 | #109 |
| 1950 | 3,030 | #114 |
| 1949 | 2,612 | #122 |
| 1948 | 1,517 | #182 |
| 1947 | 974 | #241 |
| 1946 | 762 | #262 |
| 1945 | 575 | #290 |
| 1944 | 447 | #319 |
| 1943 | 455 | #331 |
| 1942 | 481 | #317 |
| 1941 | 346 | #358 |
| 1940 | 254 | #427 |
| 1939 | 222 | #450 |
| 1938 | 130 | #602 |
| 1937 | 80 | #761 |
| 1936 | 67 | #818 |
| 1935 | 27 | #1,418 |
| 1934 | 10 | #2,740 |
| 1933 | 10 | #2,687 |
| 1932 | 11 | #2,642 |
| 1931 | 9 | #2,970 |
| 1930 | 17 | #2,022 |
| 1929 | 8 | #3,392 |
| 1928 | 5 | #4,723 |
| 1927 | 16 | #2,255 |
| 1926 | 0 | – |
| 1925 | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 9 | #3,349 |
| 1922 | 0 | – |
| 1921 | 7 | #4,021 |
| 1920 | 0 | – |
| 1919 | 0 | – |
| 1918 | 5 | #4,807 |
Names like Wendy
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Holly Molly Shelby Amber Penny Robyn Amy Ivy Melody Emily Heather Lily
Names related to Wendy
More English names
Evelyn Hudson Harper Grace Violet Willow Daisy Poppy Riley Oakley Mason Cooper Ruby Hallie Hazel Carter
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Wendy: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/wendy, updated 20 October 2026.