Wendie as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Wendie

What is the meaning of the name Wendie ?

The baby name Wendie is a girl name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced WEN-dee.

Wendie is English in Origin.

Wendie is a modern English respelling of Wendy, the name fixed in public use by J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan in 1904. Its earliest influential form is Wendy, from the nursery phrase friendy-wendy, a childlike elaboration of English friend; the initial f disappeared in the pet-name form associated with Barrie’s young acquaintance Margaret Henley. The final -ie is a familiar diminutive spelling, not a separate root.

Barrie’s character made Wendy a recognizable girl’s name in Britain and North America, with broader use after the stage play and the 1911 novel. Wendie remained a rarer spelling, especially visible in American records from the mid twentieth century and peaking around 1970. Wendi, Wendy and Wendee are spelling variants; Gwendolen is sometimes invoked because of sound, but it is a distinct Welsh name. Notable bearers include actresses Wendie Malick and Wendie Jo Sperber.