Regenna
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from Latin meaning "reborn".
Name Census estimates that about 24 living Americans carry the first name Regenna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Regenna today is around 68 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Regenna births was 1949 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Regenna. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Regenna is about 68 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Regennas were born before 1968.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Regenna. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
24
~ 1 in 14,281,431 Americans
Peak year
1949
7 babies that year
Average age
68
years old
1964 SSA rank
#7,562
Tracked since 1949
Popularity
Regenna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Regenna from the 1940s through to the 1960s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 16 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Regenna by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Regenna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Regenna
The name Regenna has its origins in the ancient Germanic languages, tracing back to around the 5th century AD. It is believed to be derived from the Proto-Germanic words "regna" meaning "to rule" and "haidu" meaning "bright" or "noble". Together, the name Regenna can be interpreted to mean "bright ruler" or "noble ruler".
In the early medieval period, the name Regenna was commonly found among the Germanic tribes that inhabited regions of present-day Germany, France, and the Low Countries. Its use was particularly prevalent among the Frankish and Alemannic peoples, who were instrumental in shaping the cultural landscape of these areas during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Regenna can be found in the Frankish Annals, a historical chronicle dating back to the 8th century. These annals mention a Frankish nobleman named Regenna who served as an advisor to Charlemagne, the renowned Frankish king and Holy Roman Emperor.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Regenna continued to be used across various Germanic regions. Notable individuals bearing this name include Regenna of Trier, a 9th-century Frankish abbess and founder of the Monastery of St. Irmina in Trier, Germany. Another prominent figure was Regenna of Saxony, a 10th-century noblewoman and landowner in the Duchy of Saxony.
As the centuries passed, the name Regenna gradually became less common, but it resurfaced in various forms and spellings across different cultures and languages. For instance, the Old English form "Regenwald" was used in Anglo-Saxon England, while the Old Norse variation "Reginleif" was found in Scandinavian regions.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Regenna of Aquitaine, a Duchess of Aquitaine and Countess of Poitiers, played a significant role in the political and cultural life of southwestern France. Another historical figure bearing this name was Regenna of Bavaria, a 13th-century German noblewoman and heiress to vast estates in the Duchy of Bavaria.
While the name Regenna has largely fallen out of common usage in modern times, it remains a unique and intriguing reflection of the rich cultural heritage of the Germanic peoples and their influence on the development of medieval Europe.
People
Regenna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Regenna as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Regenna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Regenna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 24 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Regenna going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 14,281,431 US residents.
Is Regenna a common name?
We classify Regenna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 43% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 33 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Regenna most popular?
The single biggest year for Regenna was 1949, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Regenna is about 68 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Regenna in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Regenna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Regenna in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Regenna still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Regenna in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Regenna can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Regenna?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.