Beloved or dear
In Swahili, the name is derived from the verb 'kupenda', meaning to love. It is also historically a masculine name of Germanic origin, notably borne by a 7th-century King of Mercia, though in a modern US context it is primarily used for girls with African roots.
Less common today
Penda isn't in the latest US Top 1000. It last peaked at #11,087 in 2016.
US births per 5-year period, 1990–present (SSA data).
7th-century King of Mercia in Anglo-Saxon England
