Wakabayashi (written: 若林 lit. "young forest") is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include:

• Akiko Wakabayashi (若林 映子, born 1941), Japanese actress
• Arthur Tsuneo Wakabayashi (born 1932), Canadian civil servant
• Fumie Wakabayashi (若林 史江, born 1977), Japanese stock critic and radio personality
• Gō Wakabayashi (若林 豪, born 1939), Japanese actor
• Herb Wakabayashi (1944–2015), Canadian ice hockey player
• Hiroyuki Wakabayashi (若林 広幸, born 1949), Japanese architect
• Kaoru Wakabayashi (若林 薫, born 1938), Japanese basketball player
• Katsunori Wakabayashi (若林 克法), Japanese physicist
• Kota Wakabayashi (若林 康太, born 1997), Japanese sprinter
• Manabu Wakabayashi (若林 学, born 1979), Japanese footballer
• Masatoshi Wakabayashi (若林 正俊, born 1934), Japanese politician
• Masayasu Wakabayashi (若林 正恭, born 1978), Japanese comedian, television presenter and actor
• Mel Wakabayashi (born 1943), Canadian ice hockey player
• Naomi Wakabayashi (若林 直美, born 1975), Japanese actress and voice actress
• Raizo Wakabayashi (若林 賚蔵, 1866–1941), Japanese politician
• Shigeki Wakabayashi (若林 重喜, born 1966), Japanese baseball player
• Tadashi Wakabayashi (若林 忠志, 1908–1965), Japanese baseball player
• Takeo Wakabayashi (若林 竹雄, 1907–1937), Japanese footballer

• Genzo Wakabayashi, a character in the manga series Captain Tsubasa
• Yujiro Wakabayashi, a character in the series Kamen Rider Revice
• Iori Wakabayashi (若林 伊織), a character in the manga series Ojisan to Marshmallow
• Wakabayashi-kun, a character in the manga series Chibi Maruko-chan

• Wakabayashi Station (disambiguation), multiple railway stations in Japan
• 5128 Wakabayashi, a main-belt asteroid
• Wakabayashi-ku, Sendai, a ward in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan