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Edna

Girl name · 3 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Edna: 3 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 3 births in 2025.

From Hebrew origins, Edna comes from the word *ednah* meaning "pleasure" or "delight," and it also has deep roots in Irish Gaelic as a form of Eithne, meaning "kernel" or "nut." The poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, a Pulitzer Prize winner known for her lyrical verse, brought the name into the literary spotlight, while Irish novelist Edna O'Brien gave it a modern, storytelling edge. Several places in the United States bear the name, including Edna, Texas, and the Edna Valley wine region in California, though these are primarily named after early settlers. Interestingly, the name appears briefly in the apocryphal Book of Tobit as a cheerful mother, and the Irish variant Eithne remains a beloved choice across Scotland and Ireland, linking old-world charm with biblical warmth.