Penda
Penda is a feminine given name of Senegalese origin. In the European Early Middle Ages, it was also a masculine name used in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.
Meaning & Origin of Penda
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Penda is a feminine given name of Senegalese origin. In the European Early Middle Ages, it was also a masculine name used in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Penda
Penda first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1975, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2008, when 9 Pendas were born — ranking #11,598 that year. As of 2026, Penda ranks #13,584 for baby girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 96 Pendas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Penda
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Penda of Mercia (died 655), a 7th-century king
- Penda Hair , American civil rights lawyer
- Penda Ly (born 1991), Senegalese beauty pageant titleholder
- Penda Mbow (born 1955), Senegalese politician, historian, and activist
- Penda Sy (born 1984), French-Senegalese basketball player
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Penda
Phonetically similar names — useful when Penda 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 Penda
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About the name Penda
Penda is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1975 and has accumulated 96 births in the dataset. Penda's peak popularity came in 2008 when it ranked #11,598. Use the chart and map above to compare Penda's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2008 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "P" →
- 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.