Meaning and history
Wendel is an old short form of Germanic names beginning with the element wentil, meaning “a Vandal.” The Vandals were a Germanic tribe that invaded Spain and North Africa in the 5th century, and their tribal name, possibly meaning “wanderer,” has often been confused with that of the Wends, a Slavic people living between the Elbe and the Oder. It is also another name for Saint Wendelin.
20062006: 5 births, rank #12,055
2007: 6 births, rank #10,921
2008: 10 births, rank #7,698
2009: 6 births, rank #10,994
2010: 6 births, rank #10,766
20112011: 11 births, rank #7,009
2012: 8 births, rank #8,864
2013: no US SSA record for this spelling
2014: 8 births, rank #8,781
2015: no US SSA record for this spelling
20162016: 6 births, rank #10,744
2017: no US SSA record for this spelling
2018: 5 births, rank #12,156
2019: 6 births, rank #10,803
2020: no US SSA record for this spelling
20212021: 11 births, rank #7,089
2022: 7 births, rank #9,823
2023: 7 births, rank #9,763
2024: 8 births, rank #8,987
20252025: 5 births, rank #12,008
In 2025, 5 babies were recorded with the name Wendel, ranking #12,008 among boys.