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Edna

♀ Girl

Pronounced EHD-nuh /ˈɛd.nə/Medium

Meaning: PleasureMedium

In 30 seconds: Edna is an English girl's name meaning 'pleasure'.

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Origin MediumEnglish, Hebrew, Biblical

MeaningPleasure

U.S. rank (2025)#2463 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births72 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1918

Total births (all-time)≈ 295,094

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

Edna comes through English with the meaning 'pleasure', a simple and pleasing sense behind a short, sturdy name. It also appears in the marked spelling 'Edna, keeping the same sound and meaning.

The name has a vintage, early-twentieth-century ring, worn by stage and film actress Edna May Oliver, an Academy Award nominee, and by silent-film star Edna Purviance, Charlie Chaplin's leading lady in more than thirty films.

Did you know? Edna appears in the Old Testament, which helped preserve it across centuries of Jewish and Christian naming traditions.

Overall data confidence 78%

Behind the Name - Edna — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

'Edna

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Edna May Oliver (1883–1942)
American stage and film character actress nominated for an Academy Award for Drums Along the Mohawk (1939).
★Edna Purviance (1895–1958)
American silent-film actress who was Charlie Chaplin's leading lady in more than 30 films.

If you like Edna…

Dina— a fellow Hebrew choice

Dana— a fellow English choice

Juana— a similarly popular pick

Jana— a similarly popular pick

Donna— shares the -na ending

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Edna mean?

Edna is usually explained as meaning 'pleasure' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Edna?

It's commonly said EHD-nuh /ˈɛd.nə/.

Is Edna a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Edna is used as a girl name.

How popular is Edna?

In 2024, Edna ranked #2054 in the U.S. for girls, with 94 births recorded.