The name Wendel comes from a Germanic name meaning "a Wend". Wends is the English name for some Slavic people from north-central Europe.
Nowadays it particularly means the Sorbs living in modern-day Germany. The word itself is derived from the Germanic term "Wenden", used for various non-Germanic tribes.
Famous bearers
Bearers of the surname include Elmarie Wendel (born 1939), an American actress;
Lara Wendel (born 1965), a German actress.
