Given name & surname
Dena
“from the valley; a church official”
In English use, Dena is a form of Dean. One English interpretation is “from the valley; a church official.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Dena is a form of Dean. One English interpretation is “from the valley; a church official.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Dena is a form of Dean. An origin associated with Dean is English. Dena is a variant of Dinah. An origin associated with Dinah is Hebrew.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Dena is a form of Dean. The history of Dean gives this family its wider story. Dean’s naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name. Dena is a variant of Dinah. The history of Dinah gives this family its wider story. Dinah appears in biblical tradition, giving it a longstanding religious and cultural context.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Dena through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 32,535
- 56 boys · 32,479 girls
- Most popular year
- 1970
- 1,542 babies
- 2025
- 30
- #4,581 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −17%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 30 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 4,581 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 16.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,542 in 1970. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 25,907 as a first name in 2020; 899 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Dena’s family of names
Dena is a version of Dean. Dena has a related form in Dinah. In Greek usage, Dena as a surname is a transliteration of Δένα.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 10
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Edenequivalent
- Deanversion of
- Danaequivalent
- Deaequivalent
- Deanaequivalent
- Adenaequivalent
- Deneequivalent
- Dienaequivalent
Show 2 moreShow fewer
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Dena
- Dena KaplanSouth African-Australian actress and dancerborn 1989
- Dena DietrichAmerican actress (1928-2020)
- Dena HeadAmerican basketball player (born 1970)
- Dena DeRoseJazz pianist and singer, educatorborn 1966
- Dena GraysonAmerican medical doctor and biochemistborn 1971
- Dena MwanaCongolese singerborn 1986
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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