Brenna
Brenna was the 1846th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 108 babies. Its best year was 1995, when it ranked 235th with 1,212 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,054 places. More babies were named Brenna in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · American English, Irish
Say it BREN-uh /ˈbrɛnə/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,846 girls, down 397 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 108girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19951,212 babies
- Total since 1880
- 29,371babies recorded
What does the name Brenna mean?
Brenna is an American coinage used since the 1970s, according to Wiktionary, possibly based on the boys' names Brennan or Brendan. Brennan is an Irish surname whose root is "drop" or "raven"; Brendan comes from a Welsh word for "prince", per DMNES. Because the formation is not documented, no single meaning can be given. Brenna was most popular in the US in the 1990s and 2000s.
How sure is this? Uncertain. A modern name; the link to Brennan or Brendan is a possibility, not documented.
Related names: Brennan, Brendan, Brenda, Bryn.
See also: American names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Brenna', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Brennan', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Brendan', DMNES (Durham University)
Brenna popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,846 | 108 |
| 2020 | #1,449 | 149 |
| 2010 | #469 | 644 |
| 2000 | #310 | 1,023 |
| 1990 | #419 | 605 |
| 1980 | #613 | 300 |
| 1970 | #1,027 | 120 |
| 1960 | #2,653 | 21 |
| 1950 | #2,353 | 18 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Brenna, counting every spelling?
Brenna is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #1,663 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,846 for Brenna on its own. Together these spellings went to 108 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brenna | 108 | #1,846 | 565 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Brenna?
108 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Brenna (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Brenna 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 78 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Brenna.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Brenna?
About 28,700 people born in the US named Brenna are alive today, with a median age of 27; half are between 20 and 35. That makes Brenna mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Brenna by state
How common Brenna was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Minnesota (3.1×), Ohio (1.9×). 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 Brenna: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Brenna, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Brenna · Sibling names for Brenna
Questions about the name Brenna
What does Brenna mean?
The origin of Brenna is uncertain: a modern name; the link to Brennan or Brendan is a possibility, not documented.
How popular is the name Brenna?
Brenna was the 1846th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 108 babies. Its best year was 1995, when it ranked 235th with 1,212 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,054 places. More babies were named Brenna in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Brenna a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Brenna in the US.
Where is Brenna most popular?
In 2021–2025, Brenna was most common in Minnesota (0.21 per 1,000 girls), followed by Ohio and Massachusetts.