# Brenda (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/brenda/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. US counts from the Social Security Administration; England and Wales counts from the Office for National Statistics; meaning and etymology from Wiktionary. Data updated 2026-11-11.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Usually given to | girls |
| Origin | Norse |
| Meaning | “sword” |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɹɛndə/, 2 syllables |
| Nicknames | none recorded |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |
| US babies named this | 610,597 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 2,119 / 608,478 (100% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 210, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

Possibly from Old Norse brandr (“sword”); by folk etymology seen as a feminine form of Brendan. Its use as a nickname for Queen Elizabeth II originated in Private Eye in reaction to a perceived attempt by the royals to appear less distant and upper class.

## What it means

Brenda is grouped under sword.

## Popularity

The last 15 years of each series. A year is missing when too few babies were given the name for the agency to publish it: five in the US, three in England and Wales.

### United States, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 546 | 532 |
| 2012 | 561 | 538 |
| 2013 | 439 | 643 |
| 2014 | 384 | 730 |
| 2015 | 349 | 805 |
| 2016 | 340 | 841 |
| 2017 | 294 | 911 |
| 2018 | 258 | 1,007 |
| 2019 | 236 | 1,069 |
| 2020 | 180 | 1,261 |
| 2021 | 198 | 1,207 |
| 2022 | 189 | 1,271 |
| 2023 | 177 | 1,294 |
| 2024 | 212 | 1,142 |
| 2025 | 139 | 1,527 |

### United States, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 32 | 2,220 |
| 1991 | 44 | 1,801 |
| 1992 | 28 | 2,542 |
| 1993 | 35 | 2,218 |
| 1994 | 28 | 2,628 |
| 1995 | 29 | 2,561 |
| 1996 | 11 | 5,224 |
| 1997 | 11 | 5,319 |
| 1998 | 9 | 6,382 |
| 2001 | 5 | 10,777 |
| 2002 | 6 | 9,534 |
| 2003 | 7 | 8,776 |
| 2004 | 11 | 6,585 |
| 2005 | 7 | 9,252 |
| 2007 | 5 | 12,614 |

### England and Wales, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 9 | 2,487 |
| 2009 | 9 | 2,535 |
| 2010 | 8 | 2,843 |
| 2011 | 3 | 5,785 |
| 2012 | 7 | 3,285 |
| 2013 | 6 | 3,536 |
| 2014 | 7 | 3,160 |
| 2016 | 6 | 3,609 |
| 2017 | 8 | 2,925 |
| 2018 | 3 | 5,666 |
| 2019 | 8 | 2,869 |
| 2020 | 9 | 2,615 |
| 2021 | 3 | 5,581 |
| 2023 | 3 | 5,687 |
| 2024 | 4 | 4,843 |

## People named Brenda

- Brenda Song, American actress and model (born 1988)
- Brenda Blethyn, British actress
- Brenda Vaccaro, American actress
- Brenda Lee, American singer and recording artist (born 1944)
- Brenda Strong, American actress (born 1960)
- Brenda Milner, Canada-based British neuroscientist and neuropsychologist
- Brenda Asnicar, Argentine actress
- Brenda Chapman, American animator, storyboard artist, and director
- Brenda Bakke, American actress
- Brenda K. Starr, American musician (born 1966)
- Brenda Marshall, American actress (1915-1992)
- Brenda Joyce, American film actress (1917–2009)

## How to read these numbers

A count is babies registered with that name in that year, not people alive now, so a name common a century ago can have a large total and few recent births.