Edna
Origin
From Hebrew meaning "pleasure" or "delight"; a variant of Eden in the apocryphal Book of Tobit. In Ireland and Scotland it has been used as an anglicization of Eithne.
Full definition of Edna
Proper noun
Edna
(plural Ednas)- .
- 1611 King James Version of the Bible: Tobit 10:12:Edna also said to Tobias, The Lord of heaven restore thee, my dear brother, and grant that I may see thy children of my daughter Sara before I die.
- 1866 Augusta Jane Evans, St. Elmo, G. W. Dillingham 1866, page 54:'Edna', forsooth! No doubt her origin and morals are quite as apocryphal as her name.
- 1990 Linda Barnes: Coyote, p.102:Conjure faces to go with these names: Edna and Joy. Then I'll tell you that Edna, who has a wicked serve, is our team beauty, and Joy is as plain and dour as they come.
Usage notes
Popular in the U.S.A. during the latter half of 19th century, in the U.K. in early 20th century.