Wendell is an English masculine given name of Old English origin, meaning 'friend's meadow'. It was traditionally used as a surname before becoming popular as a given name in the mid-20th century. The name Wendell was brought to prominence by American author John Kendrick Bangs, who used it for the main character in his 1893 novel "Owlet Cities". It has since been used sparingly but consistently throughout the United States and other English-speaking countries. Notable individuals named Wendell include Wendell Willkie, an American businessman and politician who was the Republican Party's nominee in the 1940 U.S. presidential election, and Wendell Berry, an American novelist, poet, essayist, farmer, and environmental activist.
The name Wendell experienced significant fluctuations in popularity throughout the 20th century and into the early 21st century, with a total of 567 babies named Wendell recorded between 1913 and 2019. The name's highest points occurred in 1940 (with 25 births) and 1962 (with 21 births), while the lowest point was reached in 2019 with only 5 births.