UK girl's name
Adena
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "delicate" or "slender.".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2001. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Adena is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Adena popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2001 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3998, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 4 births.
This profile covers 7 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 1997 to 2001. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 7 living people in the UK are called Adena. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2002 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Adena ranked #3998 for girls in England and Wales in 2001, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1997, when 4 girls were registered as Adena.
- • About 7 living people in the UK are estimated to have Adena as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3998
2001
Births in 2001
3
Latest year
Peak year
1997
4 births
Estimated living
7
2026
Meaning
What does Adena mean?
The name Adena has its origins in the ancient Sumerian language, which was spoken in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) around 3500 BC. It is derived from the Sumerian words "a-de-na," which translates to "daughter of the heavens" or "child of the sky." The name likely originated as a title or epithet for a goddess or celestial being revered by the Sumerians.
In the epic literature of ancient Mesopotamia, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, there are references to celestial deities and beings with names similar to Adena. However, it is unclear if the name Adena itself appears in any surviving texts or inscriptions from that era.
The earliest recorded use of the name Adena can be traced back to the 19th century BCE, during the Old Babylonian period. An ancient clay tablet from that time mentions an individual named "Adena-bani," which may have been a combination of the name Adena and a title or another name.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the name Adena:
1. Adena Friedman (born 1969) is an American business executive who serves as the CEO of Nasdaq, a leading global stock exchange.
2. Adena Williams (born 1968) is an American actress and comedian, best known for her roles in television shows like "The Parkers" and "The Crew."
3. Adena Siganithi (born 1952) is a Greek politician and former member of the European Parliament, representing the Panhellenic Socialist Movement.
4. Adena Raymon (1921-2006) was an American author and feminist activist, known for her contributions to the women's liberation movement in the 1960s and 1970s.
5. Adena Perlberg (1926-2012) was a Polish-born Israeli actress and singer who performed in various Yiddish theater productions and films throughout her career.
While the name Adena has its roots in ancient Sumerian culture, it has endured through the centuries and has been adopted by individuals from various backgrounds and regions around the world.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Adena over time
The chart below shows babies named Adena registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2001. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Adena, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2001, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Adena by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Adena was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | #3998 | 3 | 1 |
| 1990s | #3174 | 4 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Adena
- Amelia 94,830
- Ava 54,556
- Amy 52,495
- Alice 46,815
- Abigail 45,658
- Amber 31,922
- Anna 27,802
- Alexandra 19,455
- Amelie 18,051
- Abbie 15,971
- Aimee 15,158
- Annabelle 15,120
FAQ
Adena: questions and answers
How popular is the name Adena in the UK right now?
In 2001, Adena was ranked #3998 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Adena most popular?
The peak year on record was 1997, with 4 babies registered as Adena in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Adena?
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "delicate" or "slender.".
How many people are called Adena in the UK?
A total of 7 babies have been registered as Adena across the 2 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.