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Wendy

Meaning: Friend
Origin: English — Made popular by J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan, from a child's nickname for him, Fwendy, also a short form of Gwendolen

Meaning: Island at the river bend
Origin: Old English — From a place name

Girl's name · #1347 in the US (2025) · Retro

Popularity over time

Wendy reached #28 in 1970 and has faded to #1347 since. About 262,000 girls have carried it since 1918.

Across the states

See where Wendy is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 19 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Wendy ranks in other countries and regions.

#243 in Mexico (2024) · #404 in Ecuador (2025) · #496 in Italy (2024) · #630 in France (2025) · #885 in Sweden (2025) · #1,005 in Switzerland (2025) · #1,429 in Canada (2025) · #1,809 in England & Wales (2025) · #541 in Scotland (2024) · #3,695 in Austria (2023) · #502 in Ireland (2022) · #1,350 in Belgium (2022) and 8 more.

Famous Wendys

Wendy Hiller — English stage and film actress (1912–2003)
Wendy Carlos — American composer and electronic musician (born 1939)
Wendy — South Korean singer (born 1994)
Wendy Williams — American media personality and television host (born 1964)
Wendy B. Lawrence — American astronaut and Navy captain (born 1959)

In stories & tradition

Wendy Darling — Peter Pan (book)
Wendy Testaburger — Fictional character from South Park
Wendy Simms — CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (TV series)

What Wendys become

Among 1,196 notable people named Wendy:

Entertainers appear 1.52× more often than among typical names — e.g. Wendy Hiller, English stage and film actress (1912–2003).

Similar names: Dawn · Wesley · Cindy · Melinda · Lindy · Carla

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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