Brenda

Brenda: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“sword”
Origin
Scandinavian
Say it
BREN-duh · 2 syllables
Used for
Girls

Probably a feminine form influenced by Old Norse brandr 'sword', though its exact development in modern use is somewhat uncertain. It became established in English through literature and later general use.

How popular is Brenda?

202464.0 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Brenda in 2024212

2024 rank#1,137 girls

Peak year1950

Total US babies since 1880610,451

Brenda is fading: recent use is about 39% of its level ten years before.

Names like Brenda

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Kaiapure · Scandinavian
  • Astriddivinely beautiful · Scandinavian
  • Marenof the sea · Scandinavian
  • Livlife · Scandinavian
  • Annikagrace · Scandinavian
  • Erikaeternal ruler · Scandinavian
  • IngridIng is beautiful · Scandinavian
  • Karipure · Scandinavian

Brenda questions

What does the name Brenda mean?

Brenda means "sword". It comes from Scandinavian. Probably a feminine form influenced by Old Norse brandr 'sword', though its exact development in modern use is somewhat uncertain. It became established in English through literature and later general use.

Is Brenda a boy or girl name?

Brenda is mainly a girl's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Brenda?

212 US babies were named Brenda in 2024. Its peak year was 1950.

How do you pronounce Brenda?

Brenda is usually pronounced BREN-duh.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.