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Name Lineage

    The first name Edna

    A girl’s name from Hebrew meaning “pleasure”, “delight”.

    Pronounced /ˈɛdnə/ 2 syllables Female

    Meaning and origin

    Hebrew origin

    Edna means “pleasure”, “delight” in Hebrew.

    From Hebrew עֶדְנָה (“pleasure; delight”); a variant of Eden in the Book of Tobit. In Ireland and Scotland it has been used as an anglicization of Eithne.

    More names that mean joy.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 4 girls were named Edna, making it the 4,867th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2022, with 14 births (#1,948).

    01020 1996200020052010201520202025
    135
    babies named Edna, 1996–2025
    #4,867
    rank in 2025
    2022
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Edna with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Edna at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 72 girls born in the United States were named Edna, the 2,463rd most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1918, when 8,698 were.

    04,5009,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    296,158
    babies named Edna since 1880
    #2,463
    rank in 2025
    1918
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Edna in other languages

    Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary

    עֶדְנָה
    Hebrew
    एडना
    eḍnā
    Hindi

    Spelled Edna in Portuguese too.

    Famous people named Edna

    23 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Edna St. Vincent Millay
      American poet (1892–1950)
    • Edna Ferber
      American novelist, short story writer and playwright (1885–1968)
    • Edna Ruth Parker
      American supercentenarian (1893–2008)
    • Edna May Oliver
      American actress (1883–1942)
    • Edna Best
      British actress (1900-1974)
    • Edna Murphy
      Actress (1899-1974)
    • Edna Hughes
      British swimmer, Olympic bronze medallist (1916-1990)
    • Edna Marion
      American actress (1906-1957)
    • Edna Wallace Hopper
      American actress (1872–1959)
    • Edna May
      American actress and singer (1878-1948)
    • Edna Campbell
      American basketball player (born 1968)
    • Edna Goodrich
      American actress (1883–1971)

    More Hebrew girls’ names

    All 346 names of Hebrew origin

    Questions

    What does the name Edna mean?
    Edna means “pleasure”, “delight” in Hebrew.
    What is the origin of the name Edna?
    From Hebrew עֶדְנָה (“pleasure; delight”); a variant of Eden in the Book of Tobit. In Ireland and Scotland it has been used as an anglicization of Eithne.
    How popular is the name Edna?
    In 2025, 4 girls born in England and Wales were named Edna, ranking 4,867th. Its peak was 2022, with 14 births.
    Is Edna a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 296,158 US babies named Edna since 1880 were girls.
    When was Edna most popular?
    1918 in the United States, when 8,698 babies were named Edna, its highest rank at 23rd.
    How do you pronounce Edna?
    Edna is /ˈɛdnə/, 2 syllables.