Suzanne vs Wendy
Suzanne and Wendycompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1981, Suzanne was ranked #90 and Wendy #85 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1978, Suzanne was ranked #93 and Wendy #86 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 1998, Suzanne was ranked #261 and Wendy #351 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2005, Suzanne was ranked #441 and Wendy #623 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2018, Suzanne was ranked #734 and Wendy #734 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Suzanne was ranked #3015 and Wendy #2771 among girls in England and Wales.
Suzanne and Wendy over time
Suzanne and Wendy appear together in 5 published lists, across 153 years of shared records. Wendy held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Suzanne in 2.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Suzanne reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Wendy in 2. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Suzanne and Wendy changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #3015 and #2771.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 27 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Suzanne and Wendy averaged 7.6 places apart, ending at #93 and #86.
- Longest-running competitions
Suzanne and Wendy were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 45 years, from 1964 to 2018, ending at #734 and #734.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Suzanne #364 in 1996, Wendy #820 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls45 shared years, 1964–2018
Suzanne held the stronger position in 43 of those years, Wendy in 1.
Highest recorded here: Suzanne #42 in 1972, Wendy #108 in 1977.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Suzanne #734, Wendy #734.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Suzanne held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Wendy in 14.
Highest recorded here: Suzanne #364 in 1996, Wendy #820 in 1997.
The order changed in 2011: Wendy moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #1389 and #2589; by 2011 that had become #2025 and #1608.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Suzanne #3015, Wendy #2771.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls27 shared years, 1952–1978
Suzanne held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Wendy in 18.
Highest recorded here: Suzanne #19 in 1954, Wendy #10 in 1958.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1978: Suzanne #93, Wendy #86.
New Zealand · Girls27 shared years, 1954–1981
Suzanne held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Wendy in 25.
Highest recorded here: Suzanne #22 in 1964, Wendy #8 in 1958.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1981: Suzanne #90, Wendy #85.
Norway · Girls25 shared years, 1955–2005
Suzanne held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Wendy in 5.
Highest recorded here: Suzanne #272 in 1986, Wendy #319 in 1973.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Suzanne #441, Wendy #623.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Suzanne | Wendy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Popularized by J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan, where the character's name was created from the nickname 'fwendy' ('friend') given to Barrie by a young friend. Occasionally appeared before the play and may relate to Welsh names beginning with 'gwen' ('white, blessed'), though the name only became common after Barrie's play. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Literary invention (English), with a possible Welsh connection |
| Pronunciation | /ˈwɛn.di/ | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #3015 (2024) | Scotland · Girls #541 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Wendy has a recorded origin (Literary invention (English), with a possible Welsh connection); Suzanne does not have one recorded yet.
- Suzanne has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Wendy.
- A meaning is recorded for Wendy; Suzanne doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Suzanne
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #25 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1982
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1954 (recorded 1952–1982).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3015 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Wendy
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #16 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1981
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New Zealand, in 1958 (recorded 1954–1981).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2771 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls