Explore the Family Name Wendell
The meaning of Wendell
German, Swedish, and Danish: variant of Wendel and, in North America, (also) an altered form of this (which can be also of Dutch origin). The surname Wendell is (very) rare in Germany, Sweden, and Denmark. History: A prominent New Netherland (now NY) merchant family of this name descended from a colonist from Emden, Germany, which was part of the Netherlands in the 17th century.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Wendell in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Wendell showed a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the Wendell surname ranked 8008 in popularity, but by 2010 it had dropped slightly to 8244, a change of -2.95%. However, despite this drop in ranking, the actual count of individuals with the Wendell surname increased from 3822 to 4020 during this decade, a growth of 5.18%. The proportion of people named Wendell per 100k also decreased by 4.23%, from 1.42 to 1.36.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,008 | #8,244 | -2.95% |
| Count | 3,822 | 4,020 | 5.18% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.42 | 1.36 | -4.23% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Wendell
The ethnicity distribution for the surname Wendell saw some shifts too, as indicated by the data from the Decennial U.S. Census. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander grew from 0.44 to 0.65, marking a change of 47.73%. Those claiming two or more ethnic identities increased from 0.97 to 1.39, which is a 43.30% change. The largest segment remained those identifying as white, although there was a slight decrease from 93.98 to 92.96. The Hispanic population with the Wendell surname saw an increase of 38.68%, moving up from 2.12 to 2.94. There was a decrease in the population who identify as Black, dropping from 2.17 to 1.67. Lastly, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native grew from 0.31 to 0.40.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.98% | 92.96% | -1.09% |
| Hispanic | 2.12% | 2.94% | 38.68% |
| Black | 2.17% | 1.67% | -23.04% |
| Two or More Races | 0.97% | 1.39% | 43.3% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.44% | 0.65% | 47.73% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.31% | 0.4% | 29.03% |
Wendell ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Wendell is British & Irish, which comprises 40.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (30.1%) and Eastern European (8.3%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Finnish, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 40.0% |
| French & German | 30.1% |
| Eastern European | 8.3% |
| Other | 21.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Wendell
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Wendell have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.00% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 82.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 82.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 82.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.00% |
What Wendell haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Wendell is J-Z631, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-Z631 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include I-DF29 and R-L48, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Dorn, Niemeyer, Geisler, Spring, Eggert, Engelhardt, Keller, Behr, Rea, Straub.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Wendell surname are: H1, N, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Wendell have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Wendell" Surname 48.5%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Wendell" Surname 34.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Wendell" Surname 14.8%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Wendell" Surname 14.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Wendell?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Wendell are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition