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Rena Name Meaning, Origins & History

Rena

Pronunciation: REE-nuh

Meaning Song, melody Origin Hebrew Gender Girl
GIRLS RANK
#2,402
TREND
303
Peak Years
1962, 1916, 1921
Lowest Years
2013, 2024, 2019
Energy Archetype
Generous & Compassionate

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of girls named Rena in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Rena

  • More than 39 thousand babies named Rena: U.S. records list 39,246 babies given the name Rena from 1880 through 2025. Even 123 boys received the name Rena - about 1 boy for every 318 girls.

What Does the Name Rena Mean?

Rena is a feminine name with more than one origin, so its meaning depends on which one is meant. In Hebrew, Rena (רֵנָה), often spelled Rina, means "joy" or "song"; it comes from the root רנן, which means to sing or to shout for joy. Separately, in English and other European languages, Rena is most often a short form of a longer name. The Greek name Εἰρήνη (Eirēnē) means "peace," and its later European forms include Irene, Irena, and Irina. A woman called Rena may also be a Serena, Marina, Verena, or Lorena; when Rena works this way, the meaning comes from the full name rather than from Rena itself. In Japan, Rena is an unrelated feminine name, written in katakana or with kanji such as 玲奈, and its sense depends on the characters chosen.

Rena Name History & Origins

In Hebrew, Rena comes from the word רִנָּה (rinah), a joyful cry or song, built on a root meaning "to sing" or "to shout for joy." That word appears in biblical poetry, especially in the Psalms. Jewish families have used Rina and Rena as given names, and the different spellings reflect different ways of transliterating the same Hebrew word rather than two separate names.

The European Rena starts somewhere else: it is mainly a shortened form of longer names. Irene goes back to Greek Εἰρήνη (Eirēnē), "peace," a name carried by early Christian saints and later by the Byzantine empress Irene of Athens, who ruled as sole emperor at the end of the eighth century. From Greek it passed into Latin as Irene and into Slavic and other European languages as Irena, Irina, and similar forms; Irena has been a common name in Poland. Trimmed in everyday speech, Irena and Irene both give Rena. English speakers have also used Rena as a pet form of Serena, Marina, Verena, and Lorena, among other names with a similar ending.

Japanese Rena is a separate name with its own history, usually written in katakana or with kanji combinations such as 玲奈, and it is not related to the Hebrew or Greek names.

How Popular is the Name Rena?

Rena recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1962. Its best rank was #153 in 1885.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

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How the Name Rena Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You are a law unto itself. Your tendency is to finish whatever you start. You are tolerant and like to help humanity. You are very active. You are generally warmhearted and gives freely of your time, energy, and sympathetic understanding. You have tolerance and acceptance of the frailties of others. Universal and humanitarian in outlook. This is very compassionate name. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.

You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.

✦ Rena's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Rena's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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