Senta

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Senta

Pronounced SEN-tuh /ˈsɛn.tə/Medium

Meaning: Senta is a German given name, best known as a short form of Crescentia (from Latin 'crescens', 'growing') and as the devoted heroine of Richard Wagner's opera 'Der fliegende Holländer'. Its meaning is usually traced through Crescentia.Low

In 30 seconds: Senta is a German name (said 'SEN-tuh'), a short form of Crescentia made famous as the heroine of Wagner's opera 'The Flying Dutchman'.

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Origin MediumGerman

MeaningSenta is a German given name, best known as a short form of Crescentia (from Latin 'crescens', 'growing') and as the devoted heroine of Richard Wagner's opera 'Der fliegende Holländer'. Its meaning is usually traced through Crescentia.

U.S. rank (1986)#10601 ↗ Rising

1986 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1969

Total births (all-time)≈ 315

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

Senta is a German name, generally explained as a clipped form of Crescentia, and it gained cultural weight as the name of the loyal heroine in Wagner's 'The Flying Dutchman'. In American records it appeared modestly, cresting around 1969 at a few dozen girls a year before fading by the mid-1980s.

In the U.S. it reads as a crisp, faintly European rarity. The German actress Senta Berger carried it internationally, but it never established itself as a common American choice and shows no strong revival.

Did you know? The name's fame owes much to Richard Wagner, who gave it to the faithful heroine of his 1843 opera — a rare case of an opera character carrying a name into wider use.

Overall data confidence 62%

References — Senta — German, short form of Crescentia; Wagner opera heroine; bearer Senta Berger

Variations

SenthaZenta

Nicknames

SenSenti

Famous Bearers

★Senta Berger (1941–present)
Austrian actress prominent in European and Hollywood films of the 1960s and 1970s.

If you like Senta…

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Senta mean?

Senta is a German name, usually a short form of Crescentia, and the heroine of Wagner's 'The Flying Dutchman'.

How do you pronounce Senta?

It's said SEN-tuh /ˈsɛn.tə/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Senta a boy or girl name?

Senta is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Senta?

Senta is a rare name in the U.S., more familiar in German-speaking countries.