Penda

♀ Girl

Pronounced PEN-dah /ˈpɛn.də/Medium

Meaning: From the Swahili penda ('love; to love'), a warm virtue name; separately it recalls Penda, a 7th-century king of Mercia in Anglo-Saxon England. Noted honestly.Low

In 30 seconds: A warm Swahili name: Penda means 'love; to love' (said 'PEN-dah'). Sweet and strong.

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Origin LowSwahili, English

MeaningFrom the Swahili penda ('love; to love'), a warm virtue name; separately it recalls Penda, a 7th-century king of Mercia in Anglo-Saxon England. Noted honestly.

U.S. rank (2022)#14874 ↘ Falling

2022 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2008

Total births (all-time)≈ 96

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

Penda comes from the Swahili for 'love; to love,' and also recalls Penda, an early king of Mercia. It reads warm and strong — rare in the U.S. (said 'PEN-dah').

It appears only rarely in the U.S. Rare, warm, and strong.

Did you know? Penda is Swahili for 'love; to love' — a warm virtue name — and separately the name of a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon king of Mercia, noted honestly (said 'PEN-dah').

Overall data confidence 40%

References — Penda — Swahili 'love' / Anglo-Saxon king

Variations

PendahPenzaPenina

Nicknames

PenPenny

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Penda…

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Amara— a like warm African name

Imani— a like Swahili virtue name

Patience— shares Penda's English roots

Koda— lands in the same popularity range

Explore names like Penda

By themevirtue warm swahili love

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Penda mean?

Penda is Swahili for 'love; to love'; it also recalls an Anglo-Saxon king of Mercia.

How do you pronounce Penda?

It's said PEN-dah /ˈpɛn.də/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Penda a boy or girl name?

Penda is a girl's name.

How popular is Penda?

Penda is an extremely rare name in the U.S.