Girl · #4,751 in 2026

Dena

Dena is a given name derived from Dinah and may refer to:Dena Atlantic, American television actress Dena M. Carli, American politician Dena M.

  • English
Current Rank
#4,751
Peak Rank
#208 (1970)
Total Babies
33K
5-Yr Trend
-15%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
1970
Peak Year
#208
Peak Rank
33K
Total Count
147
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Dena

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Dena is a given name derived from Dinah and may refer to:Dena Atlantic, American television actress Dena M. Carli, American politician Dena M.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English

The Story of Dena

The earliest SSA record of Dena as a baby girl name dates back to 1880, when 13 babies received it. 1970 was its biggest year on record, with 1,541 newborns named Dena — #208 in the national rankings. The 1960s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 28% of all recorded Denas. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #4,751 among baby girl names with 28 births, falling sharply (-15%). In total, more than 33K Denas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Dena

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Dena. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Dena

Phonetically similar names — useful when Dena is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Dena

What does the name Dena mean?
Dena is a given name derived from Dinah and may refer to:Dena Atlantic, American television actress Dena M. Carli, American politician Dena M.
What is the origin of the name Dena?
Dena has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.
How popular is Dena in 2026?
In 2026, Dena ranks #4,751 among girls' names in the U.S., with 28 babies given the name that year.
When was Dena most popular?
Dena reached its peak popularity in 1970, ranking #208 that year with 1,541 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Dena most popular?
Dena has historically been most popular in Oklahoma, Wyoming, Oregon. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Dena.
Is Dena a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Dena is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Dena?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Dena include Hulda, Elma, Serena. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Dena?
Common variants and related forms of Dena include Dene. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Dena

Dena is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 33K births in the dataset. Dena's peak popularity came in 1970 when it ranked #208. Use the chart and map above to compare Dena's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.