Wendall is a unique and distinctive name of English origin. It is derived from the Old English words 'wend' and 'hal', which together mean 'stranger'. The name was first introduced by the medieval English poet Geoffrey Chaucer in his work "The Canterbury Tales". In the story, Wendall appears as a character who travels with the group of pilgrims on their journey to Canterbury Cathedral. Over time, the name has become less associated with its original literary context and more commonly used as a given name for boys. Despite its unusual origin, Wendall remains a rare but memorable choice for parents seeking a distinctive name for their child.
Based on the provided statistics, we can analyze the popularity of the name Wendall in the United States from 1904 to 2023.
The name Wendall first appeared in the U.S. Social Security Baby Names dataset in 1904 with only 5 births recorded that year. In the following decade (1912-1922), there was a significant increase in its popularity, reaching a peak of 29 births in 1921 and an average of around 23 births per year during this period.
The popularity of Wendall continued to fluctuate throughout the mid-20th century. The highest number of births recorded for this name during this time was 43 births in 1952, followed by another peak of 55 births in 1958. However, there was a steady decline in popularity starting from the late 1960s until the mid-1980s, with fewer than 30 births per year on average during this period.
Interestingly, despite its decreasing trend, Wendall still managed to gain some traction among parents in certain years. For instance, there were 47 births recorded in 1966 and another spike with 49 births in 1967. Nevertheless, these instances were exceptions as the overall trend showed a consistent decrease in popularity.
In recent years (2005-2023), Wendall has seen very low popularity, with fewer than 15 births recorded each year, except for a few years where it was not recorded at all. The total number of births with the name Wendall from 1904 to 2023 is 2,417.
In conclusion, although Wendall had some periods of popularity in the early-to-mid 20th century, its overall trend shows a decline in usage as a baby name in the United States. Currently, it is not one of the more popular choices for new parents.