Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Wayne

Wayne is the transferred use of an English surname derived from an occupation. The Olde English word “wægn” meant “wagon, wheeled vehicle” and was used to identify a person whose medieval occupation it was to either make wagons or drive them. During the middle ages the “unlearned” population of England referred to the Big Dipper constellation as “carles-wæn” or Charlemagne’s Plough with the four stars making up the body of the wagon and the three outreaching stars as the wagon’s hitch. From this perspective, the surname Wayne could have been derived for a person who dwelled in a house with the sign of the “wæn”. The first recorded spelling of this surname occurred in the early 14th century and was rendered as “Wayn”. As a given name, Wayne dates back to the 19th century and was mostly popular in the United States. Adding extra currency to this simple one syllable name was iconic film actor John Wayne (1907-1979) and Canadian hockey great Wayne Gretzky (1961-present).

All About the Baby Name – Wayne

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME WAYNE

The number Five personality loves the excitement of life and can easily adapt to all situations. As natural adventurers, these personalities thrive on the new and unexpected and prefer to be in constant motion. It makes them feel alive. They'll stir up some action if there's not enough around, and as inherent risk-takers they enjoy pushing the envelope. Naturally rebellious, the Five personality has no fear and never resists change.  Traveling and new experiences feed their souls. Fives are very social and attract friends with ease. People love to be around the Five fun-loving and exciting energy.  This is also a lucky number in numerology (like the Threes), so fortune seems to shine on them, helped along by their own optimism and good-nature. Fives have a quick wit, a cerebral mind, and are generally very persuasive. 

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME WAYNE

Wayne has always held a position on the American male naming charts dating as far back as 1880 (the first year the U.S. government began tracking naming trends). At the turn of the 20th century Wayne was a mild favorite hovering around the Top 200 list. By 1915, however, Wayne landed a position on the coveted Top 100 list where he would hold firm for nearly 60 years. The height of Wayne’s usage was mainly during the 1940s and early 50s; Wayne was the 29th most popular boy’s name in 1947 (his best year ever). In fact, Wayne’s peak popularity as a name is bookmarked between two of John Wayne’s greatest films: “Stagecoach” in 1939 and “The Quiet Man” in 1952. The ruggedly handsome Western film star must have helped move the needle for Wayne on the naming charts during this period. By the early 1970s, however, Wayne started his slow and steady descent down the charts. These drops on the charts became more pronounced in the 1990s and 2000s. In the past 20-odd years alone Wayne lost more than 500 positions so clearly we are no longer living in “Wayne’s World”. Thanks to John Wayne and the name’s etymology (wagon), Wayne still makes our list of “wild wild west” name choices. It’s a short and simple one-syllable name that packs a lot of punch.

Quick Facts

ON WAYNE

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

1

RANKING POPULARITY:

765

PRONUNCIATION:

WAYN

SIMPLE MEANING:

Wagon maker; Wagon driver

Characteristics

OF WAYNE

Freedom-loving

Adventurous

Adaptable

Intellectual

Easygoing

Progressive

Sensual

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Wayne

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME WAYNE

Bruce Wayne is the brainchild of Bob Kane and Bill Finger, published by DC Comics for the first time in 1939. Bruce is the alter ego of the superhero, Batman. The character gained a popular foothold from the start, and went on to be featured in a campy 1960s television series and a mini-series of the 1980s. The very popular Tim Burton movies, starting in 1989, reintroduced him to a huge new audience of admiring modern fans, as did Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” series in the 2000s. Bruce Wayne’s backstory: After seeing his parents murdered, the child Bruce begins to train himself to intellectual and physical excellence in order to fight crime. In his earliest incarnations, Bruce does not have superhuman traits; his success comes from honing his skills himself, along with the prudent use of certain of his toys, such as the batmobile and the utility belt. Bruce Wayne poses as a rich and superficial playboy type in Gotham City. In his disguise as Batman he is aided by his own “Dr. Watson”, his young sidekick, Robin. Together they fight the powers of evil and darkness, as personified by such as the Joker, the Penguin and Batwoman. The only other human to know the truth of their identities is Alfred, the butler. Over the years, Bruce/Batman has taken it on the chin with some rather bizarre interpretations of his persona, but just ask any kid on the block – he’ll tell you that Bruce Wayne is, first and foremost, - cue that music – da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da - “Batman!!!”

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME WAYNE

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Wayne


Popular Songs

ON WAYNE

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Wayne


Famous People

NAMED WAYNE

Wayne Gretzky (legendary hockey player)
Lil Wayne (rapper)
Wayne Newton (entertainer)
Wayne Brady (comic)
Wayne Thiebaud (artist)
Wayne Rooney (English soccer player)
Wayne Ferreira (South African tennis player)
Wayne Shorter (jazz composer)
Wayne Millner (football player)
Wayne Osmond (member of the Osmond Brothers)
Wayne Arthurs (Australian tennis player)
Wayne Black (Zimbabwean tennis player)
Wayne Rogers (actor)

Children of Famous People

NAMED WAYNE

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Wayne

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME WAYNE

John Wayne was the iconic and hugely successful American movie star born in Iowa with the unfortunate moniker of Marion Morrison. Called “Duke” (happily) from a young age, the man whom the studios dubbed John Wayne came to movies by way of odd jobs and bit parts. It took the genius of director John Ford to insist on his being cast in 1939’s Stagecoach to send John Wayne to superstardom via almost 150 movies, most of them Westerns. Among his most popular movies were Rio Bravo, The Quiet Man, The Searchers, and True Grit, for which he won an Academy Award. John Wayne was known in later years as much for his conservative politics as for his movies, as he boosted Republican causes, championed the war in Vietnam and bemoaned the state of contemporary American youth. As much as he stood for a militant aggressiveness, he never joined the armed services, although he tried. Deferred because of his age and family status, he was also the object his studio’s efforts to keep him on the lot cranking out pictures. Nonetheless, he epitomized the fighting patriotic American to the day of his death. Married three times, John Wayne fathered seven children and died of stomach cancer, after having beaten lung cancer some years earlier. He remains one of the best known and most popular figures of American culture to this day, and even has an airport named after him. Not bad for a boy named Sue, er, Marion.

John Wayne was the iconic and hugely successful American movie star born in Iowa with the unfortunate moniker of Marion Morrison. Called “Duke” (happily) from a young age, the man whom the studios dubbed John Wayne came to movies by way of odd jobs and bit parts. It took the genius of director John Ford to insist on his being cast in 1939’s Stagecoach to send John Wayne to superstardom via almost 150 movies, most of them Westerns. Among his most popular movies were Rio Bravo, The Quiet Man, The Searchers, and True Grit, for which he won an Academy Award. John Wayne was known in later years as much for his conservative politics as for his movies, as he boosted Republican causes, championed the war in Vietnam and bemoaned the state of contemporary American youth. As much as he stood for a militant aggressiveness, he never joined the armed services, although he tried. Deferred because of his age and family status, he was also the object his studio’s efforts to keep him on the lot cranking out pictures. Nonetheless, he epitomized the fighting patriotic American to the day of his death. Married three times, John Wayne fathered seven children and died of stomach cancer, after having beaten lung cancer some years earlier. He remains one of the best known and most popular figures of American culture to this day, and even has an airport named after him. Not bad for a boy named Sue, er, Marion.