Ena
A girl's name with 3,543 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
A taxonomic genus within the family Enidae – certain air-breathing land snails.
Ena is a girl's baby name of Irish origin, an anglicized form of the Gaelic Eithne meaning 'kernel, grain' — a symbol of life and potential. In Irish mythology, Eithne was the mother of the sun god Lugh, and several early Irish saints bore the name.
Ena enjoyed quiet use throughout the 20th century in Britain and Ireland, recognized by fans of the long-running soap Coronation Street through the beloved character Ena Sharples. Short, strong, and softly vintage, Ena fits the current appetite for crisp one-or-two-syllable names with genuine historical depth.
EtymologyShow more
The ending of a name often carries more etymological information than the beginning. Ena's final sounds are open, warm — a soft ending that crosses many language boundaries. In English-language naming, many feminine names end on open vowels or soft consonants, creating a melodic, approachable quality. Ena follows that feminine pattern.
Explore the ending-based name pages on this site to find names that share Ena's suffix pattern — names with similar endings often share a style and era, even when they come from different linguistic backgrounds.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Ena was #3649 twenty years ago and has since drifted to #4213, but its charm endures.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 211 | #3652 | ▼ |
| 2010s | 397 | #3909 | ▲ |
| 2000s | 289 | #4765 | ▲ |
| 1990s | 171 | #5771 | — |
| 1980s | 176 | #4755 | ▼ |
| 1970s | 287 | #2797 | ▲ |
| 1960s | 244 | #2531 | ▲ |
| 1950s | 194 | #2596 | ▲ |
| 1940s | 142 | #2585 | ▼ |
| 1930s | 211 | #1721 | ▼ |
| 1920s | 427 | #1190 | ▲ |
| 1910s | 375 | #991 | ▲ |
| 1900s | 274 | #882 | ▲ |
| 1890s | 89 | #1124 | ▲ |
| 1880s | 56 | #868 | — |
The Story of Ena
A Greatest Generation name
Peaking in 1906, Ena is a name steeped in history. Girls named Ena are most likely born between 1896 and 1916.
How rare is Ena?
Only about 1 in every 105,882 babies born in 2024 was named Ena — a truly uncommon choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1880, grew steadily over the decades, peaked in the 1920s with 427 births that decade, and has gracefully settled into a quieter chapter.
Ena by the numbers
- Would fill 74 school buses
- Meeting one Ena per day would take 9.7 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(142 years, 1880–2024)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 34 | #4213 |
| 2023 | 41 | #3723 |
| 2022 | 48 | #3331 |
| 2021 | 47 | #3355 |
| 2020 | 41 | #3636 |
| 2019 | 47 | #3350 |
| 2018 | 44 | #3523 |
| 2017 | 42 | #3649 |
| 2016 | 40 | #3802 |
| 2015 | 49 | #3311 |
| 2014 | 36 | #4132 |
| 2013 | 46 | #3417 |
| 2012 | 33 | #4415 |
| 2011 | 31 | #4600 |
| 2010 | 29 | #4893 |
| 2009 | 20 | #6644 |
| 2008 | 29 | #5057 |
| 2007 | 33 | #4500 |
| 2006 | 31 | #4613 |
| 2005 | 27 | #4869 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ena a boy's or girl's name?
When was Ena most popular?
How popular is the name Ena?
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1880–2024