Brenda is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Brenda means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Brenda across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Brenda has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Brenda is a girl name of Old Norse origin meaning “sword”. from an element meaning blade.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 610,597 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 207 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 262 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 6 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 2,293 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 2,451 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Brenda per year, United States (1897 to 2025). United States peaked in 1957 (24,395/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1965 (120/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1974 (45/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2006 (14/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1998 (3/yr).
Brenda has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1957, when it ranked #32 nationally (given to 24,395 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1950s.
Brandy · Brandi · Brent · Brandie · Brandee · Brant · Brande · Brianda
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