Brenda
Girl name · #1526 in 2025 · Uniqueness 73/100
In 2025, 139 baby girls were named Brenda, placing it at #1526 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #805, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 12,950 girls born in 2025 was named Brenda.
The 128-year story
Brenda first appears in the Social Security records in 1897, when 7 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1957, when 24,339 girls were named Brenda — good for #13 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Brenda per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Brenda against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Brenda in class?
Brenda scores 73 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Brenda will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Brenda is most common
Geography matters for names, and Brenda is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Brendas were CA (27), TX (20), NY (12), FL (9), NJ (7). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Brenda
Statistically, parents drawn to Brenda tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Belinda, Lucinda, Linda, Melinda, and Lynda.
BelindaLucindaLindaMelindaLyndaYolandaAnitaTheresa
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Brenda | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 139 | #1525 |
| 2024 | 212 | #1140 |
| 2023 | 177 | #1292 |
| 2022 | 189 | #1269 |
| 2021 | 198 | #1207 |
| 2020 | 180 | #1261 |
| 2019 | 236 | #1069 |
| 2018 | 258 | #1007 |
| 2017 | 294 | #910 |
| 2016 | 340 | #840 |
| 2015 | 349 | #805 |
| 2014 | 384 | #729 |
| 2013 | 439 | #643 |
| 2012 | 561 | #538 |
| 2011 | 546 | #532 |
| 2010 | 735 | #426 |
| 2009 | 780 | #406 |
| 2008 | 968 | #343 |
| 2007 | 1,232 | #280 |
| 2006 | 1,419 | #240 |
| 2005 | 1,661 | #209 |
| 2004 | 1,660 | #201 |
| 2003 | 1,443 | #228 |
| 2002 | 1,550 | #213 |
| 2001 | 1,737 | #189 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Brenda a popular girl name?
Brenda ranked #1526 among girls in 2025 with 139 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #805.
When was the name Brenda most popular?
Brenda peaked in 1957, when 24,339 American girls received the name (ranked #13 that year). Since 1957 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Brenda?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 12,950 newborn American girls was named Brenda. It scores 73/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.