Where did the baby name Wainwright come from in 1942?

U.S. General Jonathan Wainwright (1883-1953)
Gen. Jonathan Wainwright

The baby name Wainwright was a one-hit wonder in the U.S. baby name data back in 1942:

  • 1944: unlisted
  • 1943: unlisted
  • 1942: 6 baby boys named Wainwright [debut]
  • 1941: unlisted
  • 1940: unlisted

Where did it come from?

Gen. Jonathan Wainwright, who was in command of the Filipino and U.S. Army forces (under Gen. Douglas MacArthur) when the Japanese began their invasion of the Philippines in December of 1941. He surrendered to the Japanese in May of 1942, and was held in prisoner by the Japanese until 1945.

An original bearer of the surname Wainwright would have been a person who either made or repaired wagons and carts. (The name Wayne has a similar derivation.)

Source: Jonathan M. Wainwright (general) – Wikipedia

P.S. Want to see another surname-starting-with-W that turned into a WWII-inspired one-hit wonder? Check out Wavell

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