Edna

עֶדְנָה

• Gender: Female
• Origin: Biblical / Rabbinic Hebrew
• Meaning: pleasure

• Edna shares its root with Eden, both springing from the Hebrew word for "pleasure," which gives this seemingly simple name a surprisingly lush backstory. It appears in the Book of Tobit and has been carried by remarkable Jewish women throughout history, from poets to activists. There is a sturdy, no-frills elegance to Edna that has aged far better than its decades of quiet retirement might suggest.

  Squarely in the sweet spot of the vintage revival, this name is ready to follow Sadie and Esther back into the spotlight. It sounds both grandmotherly and surprisingly fresh — the kind of name a confident parent chooses because they know everyone else will catch up in a few years. The literary legacy alone, from Edna St. Vincent Millay to Edna Ferber, gives it serious gravitas.

• Alternate Spellings: Ednah
• Potential Sibling Name:
  Golda
  ,
  Heleni
  ,
  Irving
  ,
  Simon
• Theme: happiness