Girl · #8,872 in 2026

Nena

Nena is a given name, nickname and sometimes a surname. It is an English and Spanish feminine given name that is a diminutive form of Antonina and Giannina and thus an alternate form of Nina used in United States, most of Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Western Panama, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Bolivia,…

Current Rank
#8,872
Peak Rank
#628 (1963)
Total Babies
5K
5-Yr Trend
-23%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
1963
Peak Year
#628
Peak Rank
5K
Total Count
145
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Nena

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

Nena is a given name, nickname and sometimes a surname. It is an English and Spanish feminine given name that is a diminutive form of Antonina and Giannina and thus an alternate form of Nina used in United States, most of Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Western Panama, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Bolivia,…

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

The Story of Nena

Nena first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1963, when 112 Nenas were born — ranking #1,008 that year. As of 2026, Nena ranks #8,872 for baby girls with 10 births, falling sharply (-23%). In total, more than 5K Nenas 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

Names that sound like Nena

Phonetically similar names — useful when Nena 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 Nena

What does the name Nena mean?
Nena is a given name, nickname and sometimes a surname. It is an English and Spanish feminine given name that is a diminutive form of Antonina and Giannina and thus an alternate form of Nina used in United States, most of Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Western Panama, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Bolivia,…
How popular is Nena in 2026?
In 2026, Nena ranks #8,872 among girls' names in the U.S., with 10 babies given the name that year.
When was Nena most popular?
Nena reached its peak popularity in 1963, ranking #628 that year with 112 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Nena most popular?
Nena has historically been most popular in Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Nena.
Is Nena a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Nena is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Nena?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Nena include Dove, Vincenza, Royal. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Dove
Peak #628
👧
Vincenza
Peak #628
👧
Royal
Peak #628
👧
Kandice
Peak #628
👧
Siobhan
Peak #628
👧
Kalyn
Peak #628
👧
Darline
Peak #629
👧
Ardeth
Peak #629

About the name Nena

Nena is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 5K births in the dataset. Nena's peak popularity came in 1963 when it ranked #628. Use the chart and map above to compare Nena'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.