Minna
Minna is a feminine name of Germanic origin, meaning courtly love, and is also a diminutive of Wilhelmina. It is now particularly known in Finland and Sweden.
- German
- Finnish
- Swedish
Meaning & Origin of Minna
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Minna is a feminine name of Germanic origin, meaning courtly love, and is also a diminutive of Wilhelmina. It is now particularly known in Finland and Sweden.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- German
- Finnish
- Swedish
The Story of Minna
American parents first put Minna on the record books as a baby girl name in 1880, with 17 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1916, when 54 Minnas were born — ranking #928 that year. As of 2026, Minna ranks #5,171 for baby girls with 25 births, falling sharply (-21%). All told, over 3K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Minna
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Minna. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Elma
- Helma
- Vilhelmiina
- Vilhelmina
- Wilhelmina
- Wilhelmine
- Wilma
Names that sound like Minna
Phonetically similar names — useful when Minna 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 Minna
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About the name Minna
Minna is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Minna's peak popularity came in 1916 when it ranked #368. Use the chart and map above to compare Minna's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1916 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.