Buna

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Buna

Pronounced BYOO-nuh /ˈbjuː.nə/Medium

Meaning: Buna is a vintage American girls' name of uncertain root. It reads most plausibly as a short form of Buena ('good', Spanish) or of Verbena (the fragrant herb, from Latin). Both routes are possible; rather than fix one, we note the likely sources honestly.Low

In 30 seconds: Buna is a vintage girls' name, most likely trimmed from Buena ('good') or Verbena, the fragrant plant. A rarity from the early 1900s, its routes are uncertain (said 'BYOO-nuh').

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Origin LowSpanish, Latin

MeaningBuna is a vintage American girls' name of uncertain root. It reads most plausibly as a short form of Buena ('good', Spanish) or of Verbena (the fragrant herb, from Latin). Both routes are possible; rather than fix one, we note the likely sources honestly.

U.S. rank (2023)#13747 ↗ Rising

2023 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1915

Total births (all-time)≈ 780

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Buna is a genuine early-twentieth-century American name whose origin is not firmly documented. The likeliest reads are a clipped form of Buena, Spanish for 'good', or of Verbena, the sweet-smelling herb whose name comes from Latin. Either could yield Buna as a short, tidy given name; we present both rather than invent a single root.

It was always rare — a few dozen girls a year at its faint peak around 1915 — and it faded to near disuse by the mid-twentieth century, though it lingers faintly in the record surprisingly late. It reads as a true vintage rarity; with its origin uncertain, it has stayed an obscure name rather than a revived one.

Did you know? Names ending in -bena and -buena — Verbena, Buena — were quietly popular in the rural South and West around 1900, and a short form like Buna could grow from either, which is why its exact source is hard to pin down.

Overall data confidence 35%

References — Buna — vintage; likely short of Buena/Verbena; routes uncertain

Variations

BuenaBunahBunna

Nicknames

BeeBunny

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Buna…

Buena— the Spanish 'good' name Buna may shorten

Luna— a like short vintage-into-modern girls' name in sound

Verna— another two-beat vintage name of the same era

Bonna— the same vintage feel

Virna— echoes that soft -na sound

Explore names like Buna

By themeuncertain rare vintage spanish short-form

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Buna mean?

Buna is a vintage name of uncertain root, most likely a short form of Buena ('good') or Verbena, the plant. We note the uncertainty honestly.

How do you pronounce Buna?

It's said BYOO-nuh /ˈbjuː.nə/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Buna a boy or girl name?

Buna is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Buna?

Buna has always been rare in the U.S., a vintage name most seen in the early twentieth century.