Given name & surname
Kenna
“a beauty; born of fire”·“born of fire”·“handsome, fair one”
Kenna is a feminine form of Kenneth. Interpretations include “born of fire”, “handsome, fair one”, and “born of the fire; an attractive man” (Irish). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Celtic use, Kenna carries the interpretation “a beauty; born of fire.” Kenna is a feminine form of Kenneth. Interpretations include “born of fire”, “handsome, fair one”, and “born of the fire; an attractive man” (Irish). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Celtic.
How it developed
Kenna is used as a feminine counterpart of Kenneth.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1915. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Kenna through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 13,781
- 245 boys · 13,536 girls
- Most popular year
- 2016
- 455 babies
- 2025
- 362
- #759 for girls · #13,015 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −8%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 357 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 759 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 7.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 444 in 2016. It also appeared in 5 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (28). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 10,812 as a first name in 2020; 1,543 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.
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 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Kenna
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Kenna, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Kendall
“from the royal valley”
15% boys · 85% girls
Cordelia
“a good-hearted woman; a woman of honesty”
>99% girls
Kennedy
“a helmeted chief”
3% boys · 97% girls
Kira
“little dark-haired one”
>99% girls
Quinn
“woman who is queenly” · “one who provides counsel; an intelligent man”
20% boys · 80% girls
Ariana
“resembling silver” · “one who is holy”
>99% girls
Teagan
“one who is attractive; goodlooking” · “a handsome man”
9% boys · 91% girls
Morwenna
“maiden of the white seas”
>99% girls