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Home › Baby Names Directory › Wendy

Wendy

♀ Girl

Pronounced WEN-dee /ˈwɛn.di/High

Meaning: Friend; invented or popularized by J. M. Barrie for Peter Pan; possibly a pet form of Gwendolen (Welsh: white ring, blessed ring)Medium

In 30 seconds: A name coined or popularized by J. M. Barrie for the character Wendy Darling in Peter Pan (1904), possibly derived from 'friend-y' or as a pet form of Gwendolen. It was almost nonexistent before 1904 and became a cultural phenomenon afterward.
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Origin HighWelsh, English
MeaningFriend; invented or popularized by J. M. Barrie for Peter Pan; possibly a pet form of Gwendolen (Welsh: white ring, blessed ring)
U.S. rank (2025)#1347 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births165 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1967
Total births (all-time)≈ 262,326

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 196719182025

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

Wendy was rare before J. M. Barrie's play Peter Pan (1904), in which Wendy Darling is the eldest of the Darling children who fly to Neverland. Barrie said the name came from a young friend's pronunciation of 'friendly.' It may also be a pet form of Gwendolen (Welsh: white/blessed ring).

Wendy rose rapidly after Peter Pan and peaked in the U.S. in the 1960s–1970s. It declined from the 1980s onward and ranked #1097 for girls in 2024.

Did you know? J. M. Barrie is often credited with inventing the name Wendy — supposedly derived from 'fwendy' (friendly), the way his young friend Margaret Henley pronounced 'friendly.' There were a handful of Wendys before Peter Pan, but Barrie made it a mainstream name.
Overall data confidence 85%
Behind the Name — Wendy — etymology and Peter Pan originU.S. Social Security Administration — popularity data

Variations

WendiWyndi

Nicknames

WrenWend

Famous Bearers

  • ★Wendy Darling (fictional)
    The eldest Darling child in J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan (1904), who flies to Neverland and serves as a mother figure to the Lost Boys.

If you like Wendy…

Wren— shares the Wren- sound and is a nature name of the same vintage feel
Penelope— literary feminine name from the same mid-20th century wave
Sandy— bouncy two-syllable -ee name from the same mid-century era
Cindy— two-syllable -dy name from the same mid-century popular peak

Explore names like Wendy

By themeenglishclassicwelshliteraryinventedmid-century
By meaningGift / Blessing

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Wendy mean?

Wendy was popularized by J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan (1904), likely from a child's pronunciation of 'friendly.' It may also be a pet form of Gwendolen (Welsh: white/blessed ring).

How do you pronounce Wendy?

It's said WEN-dee — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Wendy a boy or girl name?

Wendy is used as a girls' name.

How popular is Wendy?

Wendy ranked #1097 for U.S. girls in 2024.

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