Where did the name of Wendy originate from?

Question

10 points for anyone who can elaborate.

Answer 1

J. M. Barrie did not invent the name Wendy for his 1904 play Peter Pan, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up (the book form of the story, Peter and Wendy, was published in 1911). He did popularize it, though. Barrie apparently was inspired to use the name by a young friend named Margaret Henley, the daughter of writer William Henley. Margaret, who died around 1895 at age 6, called Barrie her "friendy." Since she couldn't pronounce her Rs at the time, the word came out "fwendy," or "fwendy-wendy," in some versions of the story.

But we have absolute proof that there were earlier Wendys, thanks to the just-released 1880 U.S. Census and the 1881 British Census (available here). These documents show that the name Wendy, while not common, was indeed used in both the U.S. and Great Britain throughout the 1800s. I had no trouble finding twenty females with the first name Wendy in the United States, the earliest being Wendy Gram of Ohio (born in 1828). If you include such spelling variations as Windy, Wendi, Wenda, and Wandy the number triples.

As to the origins of said name, websites here and here make the claim that Wendy is a derivative of the name Gwendolen or maybe Gwendolyn. Looking further, I chanced upon World Wide Wendy, a site dedicated to, well, all things Wendy. On this site, Doctor of Folklore Leslie Ellen Jones discusses the possible Welsh origins of the name Gwendolyn and its derivative Wendy. In both the English and U.S. Census, however, the name Wendy is also used as a male first name, so I suspect further research may be required.

Of course, if you go back a few centuries and head east a mite, we have the Chinese emperor Wendi of the Sui dynasty (541-604), and before that the Great Emperor Wendi of the Han dynasty (179 BC-157 BC). But that's stretching it a bit far, don'tcha think?

Answer 2

Origin Of The Name Wendy

Answer 3

Wendy Name

Answer 4

Despite the popularity of Peter Pan, "Wendy" as a name did not come into general use until the 1920s, although some parents used "Wenda", first appearing in 1907, as a familiar form of the name.

The name Wendy was more popular in Britain (its country of origin) than in the United States.

In the 1940s, the variation "Wendie" was regularly used and "Wendi" appeared in the 1960s, which is when the name reached its peak in Britain. In the United States Wendy reached its peak in the 1970s. By the 1980s, the popularity of Wendy was in sharp decline.

Answer 5

Wendy is a female name which is often short for Gwendolyn. Its popularity is attributed to the character Wendy Darling from Peter Pan, which was a nick-name invented by a child relative of the author who died at six years old. However, a few instances of Wendy and variations such as Wendi as boys and girls names and surnames predate the book.

Answer 6

Wendy was a made up name for the book Peter Pan

Answer 7

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Where did the name of Wendy originate from?
10 points for anyone who can elaborate.

Answer 8

WENDY
Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: WEN-dee [key]

Probably first used in J. M. Barrie's play 'Peter Pan' in 1904. It was from the nickname fwendy "friend", given to the author by a young friend. However, there is some evidence that the name may have been used prior to the play, in which case it could be related to the Welsh name GWENDOLEN or other names beginning with gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed".

Answer 9

wendy

belive it or not is actually Chinese of orgin

Emperor Wendi rule 179 bc to 157
another
Emperor Wendi ruled 541- 601 ad


like Japanese name, Nisha, and Shakeesha, they sound American or ghetto but are in fact names that orginated in the orient


Wendi (541–604)
also spelled Wen-ti


First emperor of the Chinese Sui dynasty. As Yang Jian, a northerner having close family ties both to the Han nobility and the N Zhou dynasty (557–80), he slaughtered a king and 59 princes to seize the throne, ruling as Wendi (‘cultured emperor’, 590–604). His lands were around Changan (Xian), which he kept as the imperial capital. Conquering S China with 518 000 men, he then secured Annam's submission (603). Anti-intellectual, he opposed Confucianism but favoured Buddhism. He simplified administration, demanded total obedience to severe laws, and stopped officials working in their home areas. He was murdered by his son and successor, Yang Guang (Yangdi).



Wendi (ruled 179–157 BC)
also spelled Wen-ti

Han dynasty Chinese emperor and Confucian scholar, who consolidated his father Gaozu's achievements, including initiating the system of written civil service examinations (165 BC). Economic advance, administrative reform, and freedom from internal warfare laid the foundation for the later achievements of Wudi.

Answer 10

It is rumored that J.M. Barrie (that author of Peter Pan and such) created the name Wendy.

But that is actually false. It just wasn't very popular in England when he used it but it was used in other places a little. It got extremely popular after his story.

Wendy can also be short for Gwendolyn. :D