Never bought one, but if Nintendo's 20/20 hindsight claim that the ~Wii U confused consumers~ was the reason for its relative miss, then that's an incredible lesson learned.
I really don't think it was the name. Look at GameCube. Fine name, also very crappy sales. Nintendo first party titles rocks, but overall Sony and Microsoft have been eating them for lunch for years. The first Wii was a lucky break before iPhones became commonplace.
I seem to recall the GameCube sales being solid outside America, where Microsoft was buying its way into he market.