Brenda
Brenda was the 1527th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 139 babies. Its best year was 1961, when it ranked 11th; the most babies were born in 1957 (24,339). Over the last ten years it has moved down 722 places. More babies were named Brenda in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning perhaps 'sword' (Old Norse) · Old Norse, Scottish
Say it BREN-duh /ˈbɹɛndə/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,527 girls, down 266 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 139girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 195724,339 babies
- Total since 1880
- 610,597babies recorded
What does the name Brenda mean?
Brenda's origin is uncertain. Wiktionary suggests Old Norse brandr 'sword', and the name was used in Shetland and Orkney, where Norse influence was strong; Walter Scott's novel The Pirate (1822), set in Shetland, made it known. It is also often treated as a feminine of Brendan, but Wiktionary calls that a folk etymology. Brenda was popular in the US in the mid-20th century.
brandr (Old Norse, “sword, blade (proposed)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The Norse derivation is marked 'possibly' in Wiktionary.
Other explanations you may read: Feminine of Brendan.
Related names: Brendan, Bren.
See also: Scandinavian names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Brenda', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Brenda popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 2,119 since 1939.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,527 | 139 |
| 2020 | #1,261 | 180 |
| 2010 | #426 | 735 |
| 2000 | #172 | 1,898 |
| 1990 | #123 | 2,633 |
| 1980 | #115 | 2,648 |
| 1970 | #40 | 8,336 |
| 1960 | #13 | 23,963 |
| 1950 | #14 | 20,799 |
| 1940 | #42 | 5,442 |
| 1930 | #917 | 63 |
| 1920 | #1,411 | 32 |
| 1910 | #1,792 | 8 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Brenda, counting every spelling?
Brenda has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #1,405 for girls in 2025, against #1,527 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Brenda?
139 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Brenda (0.04 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Brenda born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 60 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Brenda.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Brenda?
About 488,200 people born in the US named Brenda are alive today, with a median age of 66; half are between 58 and 73. That makes Brenda a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Brenda by state
How common Brenda was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Jersey (1.8×), Texas (1.7×), Florida (1.7×), California (1.6×). In 34 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Brenda: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Brenda, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Brenda · Sibling names for Brenda
Questions about the name Brenda
What does Brenda mean?
Brenda is usually explained as “perhaps 'sword' (Old Norse)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Brenda?
Brenda was the 1527th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 139 babies. Its best year was 1961, when it ranked 11th; the most babies were born in 1957 (24,339). Over the last ten years it has moved down 722 places. More babies were named Brenda in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Brenda a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Brenda in the US.
Where is Brenda most popular?
In 2021–2025, Brenda was most common in New Jersey (0.20 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and Florida.