Total births
608,478
Girls' name · since 1897
Brenda
Since 1897, U.S. Social Security records show 608,478 babies named Brenda, peaking in 1957. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1141
- among girls today
- 608,478
- born since 1897
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other girls
608,478 babies have been named Brenda since 1897, making it today's #1141 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Brenda recorded 608,478 times among girls since 1897, holding rank #1141 nationally today, ahead of 94% of girls, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1897 to 2025.
- #1141 among girls today
- 608,478 born since 1897
- 1950s peak decade
- 94% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Brenda is currently the #1141 girls' name in America, more common than 94% of girls - 608,478 born since 1897, peaking in the 1950s.
- #1141
- among girls today
- 608,478
- born since 1897
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other girls
Brenda vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1141
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 94% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
34% of everyone ever named Brenda was born in this single decade.
1957
Single peak year
24,339 babies were named Brenda in 1957 - its busiest year on record.
How Brenda compares
608,478 Top 0% higher than 100% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Brenda's all-time total is 1,593x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Brenda | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 608,478 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 24,339 | 48 | 19,840 |
Brenda's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Brenda's full recorded timeline at 1965, 29% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 71% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1903, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1957 peak of 24,339 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Brenda at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1957
Current rank
#1,141
Active since
1897
Brenda popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1897–2025
- Peak year (1957)
- 24,339
- Annual births at peak, across 129 years of records
Brenda popularity over time - boys
2,119 total births recorded since 1939 (Brenda as boys' name)
Brenda by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Brenda's strongest decade.
209,241 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Brenda births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 7
1890s
7 births
- 1900s 32
1900s
32 births
- 1910s 180
1910s
180 births
- 1920s 469
1920s
469 births
- 1930s 4,380
1930s
4,380 births
- 1940s
1940s
112,415 births
- 1950s
1950s
209,241 births
- 1960s
1960s
164,502 births
- 1970s 48,591
1970s
48,591 births
- 1980s 24,147
1980s
24,147 births
- 1990s 24,929
1990s
24,929 births
- 2000s 14,348
2000s
14,348 births
- 2010s 4,142
2010s
4,142 births
- 2020s 1,095
2020s
1,095 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 209,241 births (34% of all-time use).
How Brenda compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Brenda's total volume
Brenda vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Brenda by state
Where Brenda concentrates geographically, total births since 1897
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 48,665 | 8.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 46,773 | 7.7% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 30,443 | 5.0% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 28,621 | 4.7% |
| #5 | New York | | 26,323 | 4.3% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 24,605 | 4.0% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 24,605 | 4.0% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 24,365 | 4.0% |
California share of Brenda's total US births 8.0%
Even split
48,665 of 608,478 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Brenda appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Brenda? ▼
608,478 babies have been named Brenda since 1897. It currently ranks #1141 among girls. The peak year was 1957 with 24,339 births.
When was Brenda most popular? ▼
Brenda was most popular in the 1950s decade with 209,241 total births. The single peak year was 1957.
Where is Brenda most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Brenda are California (48,665 births), Texas (46,773 births), North Carolina (30,443 births).
How long has the name Brenda been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Brenda since 1897 -- 129 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Brenda? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Breanna, Brenna, Breana, Breanne, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Brenda's data
- Brenda's decade-level peak was the 1950s (209,241 total births); usage has since declined to 1,095 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Brendas (48,665 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Brenda
Nearby Names Like Brenda
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Brenda
Breanna Girl
#1829 82,375 births
Brenna Girl
#2070 29,371 births
Breana Girl
#10477 11,224 births
Breanne Girl
#7011 10,352 births
Bree Girl
#2498 9,287 births
Compare Brenda side by side: Brenda vs Breanna Brenda vs Brenna Brenda vs Breana
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Brenda
Princess #1140
15,975 births · Peak 2006
Erika #1142
125,664 births · Peak 1990
Dariana #1139
4,338 births · Peak 2000
Alisha #1143
56,996 births · Peak 1989
Safa #1138
2,939 births · Peak 2025
Ariela #1144
3,841 births · Peak 2024
Desiree #1137
83,563 births · Peak 1983
Gaia #1145
2,434 births · Peak 2023
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1897–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Brenda: #1141 Girls' Name - 608,478 Births, Peak 1957." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/brenda. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Brenda draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.