Given name & surname
Rena
“one who sings a joyous song”
Rena is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “one who sings a joyous song.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “one who sings a joyous song.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
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.
From dated birth records
Rena through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 39,247
- 123 boys · 39,124 girls
- Most popular year
- 1916
- 578 babies
- 2025
- 75
- #2,402 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −4%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 75 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,402 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 3.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 575 in 1962. In 2025, New Jersey had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (11). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 20,224 as a first name in 2020; 420 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.
Rena’s family of names
Rena has a related form in Rina. Rena has a related form in Reena. Rena has a related form in Renna.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Rena has relatives in 3 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
3 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 5
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Rena
- Rena SoferAmerican actressborn 1968
- Rena OwenNew Zealand actressborn 1962
- SableAmerican professional wrestler, model and actorborn 1967
- Rena MatsuiJapanese actor, novelist and YouTuberborn 1991
- Rena NōnenJapanese actress and singerborn 1993
- Rena EffendiAzerbaijani photographerborn 1977
- Rena RiffelAmerican actressborn 1969
- Rena KatoJapanese idol and member of idol group AKB48born 1997
- Rena TanakaJapanese actress (1980-)
Characters named Rena: Rena Ryūgū (Higurashi When They Cry).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Rena, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Alva
“one who has a fair complexion” · “a bright man”
24% boys · 76% girls
Ethel
“a noble woman” · “one who is noble”
>99% girls
Bethel
“of the house of God” · “the house of God”
4% boys · 96% girls
Ardith
“from the field of flowers”
2% boys · 98% girls
Era
Era is a feminine given name. It is used in Albanian.
4% boys · 96% girls
Euna
Euna is a feminine given name.
>99% girls
Edna
“one who brings pleasure; a delight”
>99% girls
Elna
Elna is a feminine given name from Elin. It is used in Swedish, Danish, Finnish, and Faroese.
>99% girls