Dena
Girl name · #4548 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Dena? In official American birth records, Dena has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Dena is currently the #4548 girl name in the United States — 30 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #3989, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 60,000 girls born in 2025 was named Dena.
The 145-year story
Dena first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 13 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1970, when 1,542 girls were named Dena — good for #208 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Dena per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Dena against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Dena in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Dena is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Dena will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Dena is most common
State-level data for Dena is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Dena
Statistically, parents drawn to Dena tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Deena, Rena, Tina, Dina, and Deanna.
DeenaRenaTinaDinaDeannaSonjaGinaUrsula
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Dena | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 30 | #4546 |
| 2024 | 29 | #4669 |
| 2023 | 27 | #4873 |
| 2022 | 35 | #4108 |
| 2021 | 32 | #4326 |
| 2020 | 29 | #4548 |
| 2019 | 32 | #4343 |
| 2018 | 37 | #3918 |
| 2017 | 42 | #3627 |
| 2016 | 44 | #3523 |
| 2015 | 37 | #3989 |
| 2014 | 45 | #3486 |
| 2013 | 43 | #3573 |
| 2012 | 34 | #4296 |
| 2011 | 42 | #3659 |
| 2010 | 50 | #3256 |
| 2009 | 47 | #3460 |
| 2008 | 59 | #2957 |
| 2007 | 61 | #2930 |
| 2006 | 66 | #2701 |
| 2005 | 69 | #2503 |
| 2004 | 65 | #2556 |
| 2003 | 84 | #2092 |
| 2002 | 93 | #1897 |
| 2001 | 71 | #2259 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Dena?
In official American birth records, the name Dena first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 13 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Dena a popular girl name?
Dena ranked #4548 among girls in 2025 with 30 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3989.
When was the name Dena most popular?
Dena peaked in 1970, when 1,542 American girls received the name (ranked #208 that year). Since 1970 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Dena?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 60,000 newborn American girls was named Dena. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.