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Boy · Old High German
Wendelin
Say it: VEN-deh-leen
Meaning
From a Germanic pet form built on Wendel-, probably the tribal name of the Vandals; the exact sense is uncertain.
Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.
Spread in Catholic south-west Germany through the cult of Saint Wendelin.
Its wave through time
Rare in the records
In the United States
- 559 babies given this name since 1912
- At its height in 1954, about 1 in 64,700 girls
- Fewer than 5 babies a year in 2020
Through the ages
Used by
The family of the name
Other spellings: Wendel
Famous bearers
- Saint Wendelin, hermit and patron of herdsmen
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- Calendars of saints and name days
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.