Gender Feminine Usage English Pronounced Pron. /di.ˈæn.ə/, /ˈdiːn.ə/ Meaning & History Either a variant of Diana or a feminine form of Dean. This name was popularized by the Canadian actress and singer Deanna Durbin (1921-2013), whose birth name was Edna. Her stage name was a rearrangement of the letters of her real name.