Wardell is a unique and uncommon given name of American origin. It was created by the author Charles Dickens in his novel "The Pickwick Papers," published in 1836-1837. In the novel, Wardell is a character who plays the violin and appears in several episodes.
The name Wardell does not have a specific meaning or etymology like many other names. It was purely invented by Dickens for his fictional character. However, some people associate it with the Old English word "weard," which means "guard" or "warden," as well as the surname "Warden."
Despite its fictional origins, Wardell has been used occasionally as a given name in the United States since the mid-19th century. According to data from the Social Security Administration, only a few babies have been named Wardell each year in the U.S., making it a rare and distinctive choice.
In popular culture, one notable figure with the first name Wardell is Wardell Gray, an influential jazz saxophonist who played alongside many famous musicians such as Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. He was born in Oklahoma in 1922 and had a successful career before his untimely death in 1955.
Overall, Wardell is a unique and uncommon name with American origins, primarily associated with Charles Dickens' fictional character of the same name. Its rare usage makes it an interesting choice for parents looking for distinctive names for their children.
The name Wardell experienced significant fluctuations in popularity over the years, with a peak of 87 births in 1950 and a low of 5 births in multiple recent years (2005, 2011, 2016). The total number of births with the name Wardell between 1896 and 2020 is 4290.