Edna
From Hebrew עֶדְנָה (“pleasure; delight”); a variant of Eden in the Book of Tobit.
Every Edna since 1880 — 296,158 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Edna
Edna is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #2,463 in 2025 with 72 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 296,158 American babies have been named Edna. Its peak came in 1918, when 8,730 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1910s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Edna stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Edna year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 72 | #2,463 | — | — |
| 2024 | 95 | #2,044 | — | — |
| 2023 | 103 | #1,926 | — | — |
| 2022 | 90 | #2,125 | — | — |
| 2021 | 91 | #2,091 | — | — |
| 2020 | 88 | #2,085 | — | — |
| 2019 | 82 | #2,238 | — | — |
| 2018 | 122 | #1,695 | — | — |
| 2017 | 75 | #2,409 | — | — |
| 2016 | 84 | #2,275 | — | — |
| 2015 | 81 | #2,300 | — | — |
| 2014 | 92 | #2,103 | — | — |
| 2013 | 97 | #2,006 | — | — |
| 2012 | 95 | #2,035 | — | — |
| 2011 | 100 | #1,974 | — | — |
| 2010 | 102 | #1,964 | — | — |
| 2009 | 104 | #1,992 | — | — |
| 2008 | 113 | #1,884 | — | — |
| 2007 | 136 | #1,638 | — | — |
| 2006 | 108 | #1,884 | — | — |
| 2005 | 131 | #1,556 | — | — |
| 2004 | 139 | #1,461 | — | — |
| 2003 | 130 | #1,501 | — | — |
| 2002 | 126 | #1,501 | — | — |
| 2001 | 149 | #1,296 | — | — |
| 2000 | 126 | #1,460 | — | — |
| 1995 | 131 | #1,282 | — | — |
| 1990 | 206 | #927 | — | — |
| 1985 | 203 | #809 | — | — |
| 1980 | 284 | #643 | — | — |
| 1975 | 313 | #548 | — | — |
| 1970 | 448 | #466 | — | — |
| 1965 | 711 | #340 | 5 | #4,058 |
| 1960 | 1,105 | #271 | — | — |
| 1955 | 1,524 | #205 | 9 | #2,826 |
| 1950 | 1,853 | #157 | — | — |
| 1945 | 2,152 | #119 | 5 | #3,452 |
| 1940 | 2,835 | #86 | 10 | #2,372 |
| 1935 | 3,420 | #67 | 25 | #1,368 |
| 1930 | 4,762 | #51 | 21 | #1,615 |
| 1925 | 6,781 | #37 | 27 | #1,429 |
| 1920 | 8,331 | #27 | 25 | #1,516 |
| 1915 | 8,144 | #20 | 24 | #1,380 |
| 1910 | 3,664 | #18 | 16 | #760 |
| 1905 | 2,953 | #15 | 13 | #674 |
| 1900 | 3,102 | #12 | 13 | #706 |
| 1895 | 2,560 | #14 | — | — |
| 1890 | 1,973 | #18 | 12 | #573 |
| 1885 | 1,077 | #30 | — | — |
| 1880 | 588 | #45 | — | — |
Famous people named Edna
- Edna Purviance Actor · 1895–1958
- Edna St. Vincent Millay Writer · 1892–1950
- Edna O'Brien Writer · b. 1930
- Edna Parker Social activist · 1893–2008
- Edna Ferber Writer · 1885–1968
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Edna mean?
From Hebrew עֶדְנָה (“pleasure; delight”); a variant of Eden in the Book of Tobit.
How popular is the name Edna in 2025?
Edna ranked #2,463 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 72 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Edna?
296,158 babies have been named Edna in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Edna most popular?
Edna peaked in 1918, when 8,730 newborns received the name.
Is Edna a boy or girl name?
Edna is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Edna rising or falling?
Edna has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Edna?
Well-known people named Edna include Edna Purviance (actor), Edna St. Vincent Millay (writer), Edna O'Brien (writer).