Brenda

The name Brenda has had a surprisingly successful ride on the American female naming charts. She first debuted back in 1925 and very quickly rose to prominence, landing a spot on the Top 100 list within 15 short years in 1939. She continued to brandish her ‘fiery sword’ for another 40 straight years. In fact, the name Brenda was a Top 25 most favored girl’s name in the United States for 20 years – her heyday coming in between the years 1946 and 1966. Brenda also has some pop culture significance. In 1940 the comic strip character Brenda Starr was created in Chicago, became syndicated nationwide and rose to great popularity in the 1950s. Beautiful, glamorous, adventurous and smart, Brenda Starr was a female newspaper reporter and modern woman of her times. The 1950s and early 60s were clearly the best years for this understated beauty when she lingered close to the Top 10 list of most commonly used girl names in America. Once the name fell from the Top 100 in 1977, Brenda has pretty much experienced a slow and steady decline. Even fictional character Brenda Walsh from the popular 1990s teenage drama series “Beverly Hills, 90210” could do nothing to revive her popularity. It seems that good old Brenda once lived by the ‘sword’ and now must die by her sword. Brenda is one of those mid-century names (like Linda, Donna, Sandra and Barbara). They are no longer considered “cool” by the standards of todays naming styles. For those parents who care less about the current trends, Brenda is a simple, sweet and feminine choice – but one with a subtle edge of power and strength.