Brenda was a hugely popular girls' name that peaked at #11 in 1961 but is far less common today.
Brenda is predominantly a girl name. In 2025 it ranked #1,527 for girl births in the United States (and #2,833 across all names), given to 139 babies. Brenda was first reported in SSA data in 1897 and peaked in 1957 (24,339 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 139 | 139 | #1,527 | — |
| 2024 | 212 | 212 | #1,142 | — |
| 2023 | 177 | 177 | #1,294 | — |
| 2022 | 189 | 189 | #1,271 | — |
| 2021 | 198 | 198 | #1,207 | — |
| 2020 | 180 | 180 | #1,261 | — |
| 2019 | 236 | 236 | #1,069 | — |
| 2018 | 258 | 258 | #1,007 | — |
| 2017 | 294 | 294 | #911 | — |
| 2016 | 340 | 340 | #841 | — |
| 2015 | 349 | 349 | #805 | — |
| 2014 | 384 | 384 | #730 | — |
| 2013 | 439 | 439 | #643 | — |
| 2012 | 561 | 561 | #538 | — |
| 2011 | 546 | 546 | #532 | — |
| 2010 | 735 | 735 | #426 | — |
| 2009 | 780 | 786 | #406 | — |
| 2008 | 968 | 968 | #343 | — |
| 2007 | 1,237 | 1,242 | #280 | #12,614 |
| 2006 | 1,419 | 1,424 | #240 | — |
| 2005 | 1,668 | 1,668 | #209 | #9,252 |
| 2004 | 1,671 | 1,679 | #201 | #6,585 |
| 2003 | 1,450 | 1,458 | #228 | #8,776 |
| 2002 | 1,556 | 1,568 | #213 | #9,534 |
| 2001 | 1,742 | 1,753 | #189 | #10,777 |
| 2000 | 1,898 | 1,921 | #172 | — |
| 1999 | 1,979 | 2,019 | #160 | — |
| 1998 | 2,142 | 2,165 | #149 | #6,382 |
| 1997 | 2,170 | — | #148 | #5,319 |
| 1996 | 2,425 | — | #131 | #5,224 |
| 1995 | 2,639 | — | #119 | #2,561 |
| 1994 | 2,683 | — | #121 | #2,628 |
| 1993 | 2,920 | — | #114 | #2,218 |
| 1992 | 2,855 | — | #119 | #2,542 |
| 1991 | 2,678 | — | #120 | #1,801 |
| 1990 | 2,665 | — | #123 | #2,220 |
| 1989 | 2,316 | — | #132 | #1,736 |
| 1988 | 2,327 | — | #123 | #1,672 |
| 1987 | 2,196 | — | #129 | #1,538 |
| 1986 | 2,291 | — | #124 | #1,403 |
| 1985 | 2,421 | — | #122 | #1,702 |
| 1984 | 2,528 | — | #112 | #1,800 |
| 1983 | 2,461 | — | #120 | #1,827 |
| 1982 | 2,542 | — | #118 | #2,118 |
| 1981 | 2,751 | — | #112 | #1,866 |
| 1980 | 2,672 | — | #115 | #2,165 |
| 1979 | 2,791 | — | #112 | #2,244 |
| 1978 | 2,887 | — | #103 | #2,948 |
| 1977 | 3,168 | — | #91 | #2,569 |
| 1976 | 3,604 | — | #77 | #2,517 |
| 1975 | 4,261 | — | #67 | #1,893 |
| 1974 | 4,847 | — | #59 | #2,368 |
| 1973 | 5,400 | — | #53 | #1,989 |
| 1972 | 6,296 | — | #44 | #1,731 |
| 1971 | 7,187 | — | #43 | #1,711 |
| 1970 | 8,356 | — | #40 | #1,996 |
| 1969 | 9,024 | — | #38 | #1,354 |
| 1968 | 9,986 | — | #34 | #1,188 |
| 1967 | 11,517 | — | #31 | #1,219 |
| 1966 | 13,336 | — | #25 | #1,152 |
| 1965 | 15,116 | — | #23 | #986 |
| 1964 | 17,152 | — | #18 | #1,129 |
| 1963 | 19,664 | — | #15 | #1,038 |
| 1962 | 21,339 | — | #12 | #939 |
| 1961 | 23,853 | — | #11 | #901 |
| 1960 | 24,026 | — | #13 | #954 |
| 1959 | 21,477 | — | #16 | #1,061 |
| 1958 | 21,382 | — | #16 | #1,149 |
| 1957 | 24,395 | — | #13 | #1,015 |
| 1956 | 19,378 | — | #19 | #1,259 |
| 1955 | 19,154 | — | #18 | #1,184 |
| 1954 | 19,648 | — | #18 | #1,203 |
| 1953 | 20,171 | — | #18 | #1,035 |
| 1952 | 21,483 | — | #15 | #1,097 |
| 1951 | 21,761 | — | #14 | #1,083 |
| 1950 | 20,840 | — | #14 | #1,105 |
| 1949 | 20,586 | — | #13 | #1,072 |
| 1948 | 17,739 | — | #17 | #1,146 |
| 1947 | 15,867 | — | #21 | #1,190 |
| 1946 | 12,724 | — | #24 | #1,197 |
| 1945 | 9,230 | — | #29 | #1,271 |
| 1944 | 9,027 | — | #30 | #1,256 |
| 1943 | 8,457 | — | #35 | #1,489 |
| 1942 | 7,269 | — | #40 | #1,317 |
| 1941 | 6,364 | — | #41 | #1,170 |
| 1940 | 5,461 | — | #42 | #1,579 |
| 1939 | 2,775 | — | #86 | #1,537 |
| 1938 | 676 | — | #244 | — |
| 1937 | 233 | — | #423 | — |
| 1936 | 163 | — | #511 | — |
| 1935 | 132 | — | #556 | — |
| 1934 | 106 | — | #652 | — |
| 1933 | 90 | — | #683 | — |
| 1932 | 95 | — | #695 | — |
| 1931 | 66 | — | #845 | — |
| 1930 | 63 | — | #917 | — |
| 1929 | 60 | — | #922 | — |
| 1928 | 54 | — | #1,016 | — |
| 1927 | 47 | — | #1,109 | — |
| 1926 | 55 | — | #1,006 | — |
| 1925 | 58 | — | #977 | — |
| 1924 | 44 | — | #1,189 | — |
| 1923 | 43 | — | #1,179 | — |
| 1922 | 44 | — | #1,161 | — |
| 1921 | 32 | — | #1,443 | — |
| 1920 | 32 | — | #1,411 | — |
| 1919 | 30 | — | #1,427 | — |
| 1918 | 28 | — | #1,499 | — |
| 1917 | 18 | — | #1,932 | — |
| 1916 | 23 | — | #1,590 | — |
| 1915 | 20 | — | #1,686 | — |
| 1914 | 15 | — | #1,748 | — |
| 1913 | 12 | — | #1,784 | — |
| 1912 | 17 | — | #1,308 | — |
| 1911 | 9 | — | #1,677 | — |
| 1910 | 8 | — | #1,792 | — |
| 1908 | 7 | — | #1,698 | — |
| 1905 | 8 | — | #1,435 | — |
| 1904 | 6 | — | #1,684 | — |
| 1903 | 5 | — | #1,827 | — |
| 1901 | 6 | — | #1,504 | — |
| 1897 | 7 | — | #1,278 | — |