Origin of the name Wendy:

Originated as a nickname of novelist and playwright J.M. Barrie bestowed by Margaret Henley, the young daughter of English poet and editor W.E. Henley. She called Barrie her "Fwendy" (friendly), which evolved to "Fwendy-Wendy." Barrie first used the name in 1904 for a character in his Peter Pan, an ever-popular play which firmly established Wendy as a given name throughout the English-speaking world. Alternatively, Wendy is a modern pet form of Gwendolyn, most likely influenced by the previous name.

From A World of Baby Names by Teresa Norman.Buy the book