Recent in Baby
When Baby Resists SolidsWhen Baby Resists SolidsBaby Biting TipsBaby Biting Tips5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair Injuries5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair InjuriesWhen Baby and Pet MeetWhen Baby and Pet MeetTreatments for ColicTreatments for ColicBaby Milestones – The First YearBaby Milestones – The First YearTips for Relieving Teething PainTips for Relieving Teething PainBenefits of Making Your Own Baby FoodBenefits of Making Your Own Baby Food

Home › Baby Names Directory › Waddell

Waddell

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Waddell

Pronounced wuh-DEL /wəˈdɛl/Medium

Meaning: Waddell is a Scottish and northern English surname taken from Wedale, a valley in the Scottish Borders whose name may mean 'valley of woe' or a place of the Wed folk. Used as a given name, it carries that place-name origin.Low

In 30 seconds: Waddell is a Scottish surname from the place Wedale, adopted as a first name in the United States. It stayed rare and reads as a family-name choice (said wuh-DEL).
💕 Browse more names
Origin MediumScottish
MeaningWaddell is a Scottish and northern English surname taken from Wedale, a valley in the Scottish Borders whose name may mean 'valley of woe' or a place of the Wed folk. Used as a given name, it carries that place-name origin.
U.S. rank (1990)#9438 ↘ Falling
1990 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1947
Total births (all-time)≈ 780

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 194719081990

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Waddell is a Scottish and northern English surname drawn from Wedale, a valley in the Scottish Borders. As a first name it appears in United States birth records in the early twentieth century, following the custom of promoting a respected surname to given-name use. It reached its modest high around 1947 and was never common, given to only a couple dozen boys a year.

A boy named Waddell in that cohort would be a grandfather or great-grandfather today. The name belongs to the surname-as-first-name fashion and often marked a family's Scottish line. It has not revived, and it remains an uncommon, heritage-minded pick.

Did you know? Waddell comes from Wedale, a valley in the Scottish Borders, so behind the boy's name lies a real place on the map of southern Scotland.
Overall data confidence 56%
References - Waddell — Scottish surname from Wedale; used as given name

Variations

WaddelWardellWeddell

Nicknames

WadeDell

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Waddell…

Wardell— a very close surname-name easily confused in spelling
Waverly— another Scottish-flavored place-and-surname name
Waylon— a like vintage boy's name with a W- opening
Dell— the short form Waddell can yield

Explore names like Waddell

By themerarevintagesurname-namescottish

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Waddell mean?

It is a Scottish surname from Wedale, a valley in the Scottish Borders, used as a given name.

How do you pronounce Waddell?

It's said wuh-DEL /wəˈdɛl/, two syllables, stress on the second.

Is Waddell a boy or girl name?

Waddell is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Waddell?

It has always been rare, a surname-name given to only a couple dozen boys a year around the nineteen-forties.

💬 Ask Nia