Girl nameCurrently #263 in the USSteady
Lena
LEE-nuh//ˈliːnə//
2 syllablesPeak year: 19174 lettersStarts with L
Meaning & origin
Light (short form of Helena/Magdalena)
Lena most often functions as a short form of Helena, Magdalena, or Caroline, though it stands well on its own as a clean, two-syllable name. Its simple warmth has made it a favorite across many European languages.
Lena's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Lena |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 603 |
| 1881 | 555 |
| 1882 | 697 |
| 1883 | 800 |
| 1884 | 906 |
| 1885 | 876 |
| 1886 | 992 |
| 1887 | 1,004 |
| 1888 | 1,170 |
| 1889 | 1,096 |
| 1890 | 1,137 |
| 1891 | 1,180 |
| 1892 | 1,234 |
| 1893 | 1,261 |
| 1894 | 1,360 |
| 1895 | 1,289 |
| 1896 | 1,326 |
| 1897 | 1,239 |
| 1898 | 1,326 |
| 1899 | 1,159 |
| 1900 | 1,506 |
| 1901 | 1,216 |
| 1902 | 1,225 |
| 1903 | 1,207 |
| 1904 | 1,234 |
| 1905 | 1,258 |
| 1906 | 1,206 |
| 1907 | 1,244 |
| 1908 | 1,336 |
| 1909 | 1,295 |
| 1910 | 1,436 |
| 1911 | 1,454 |
| 1912 | 1,912 |
| 1913 | 1,973 |
| 1914 | 2,268 |
| 1915 | 2,933 |
| 1916 | 2,874 |
| 1917 | 3,015 |
| 1918 | 2,944 |
| 1919 | 2,884 |
| 1920 | 2,793 |
| 1921 | 2,717 |
| 1922 | 2,636 |
| 1923 | 2,525 |
| 1924 | 2,420 |
| 1925 | 2,245 |
| 1926 | 2,150 |
| 1927 | 1,998 |
| 1928 | 1,816 |
| 1929 | 1,631 |
| 1930 | 1,501 |
| 1931 | 1,313 |
| 1932 | 1,267 |
| 1933 | 1,097 |
| 1934 | 1,076 |
| 1935 | 974 |
| 1936 | 901 |
| 1937 | 852 |
| 1938 | 863 |
| 1939 | 764 |
| 1940 | 807 |
| 1941 | 795 |
| 1942 | 793 |
| 1943 | 781 |
| 1944 | 725 |
| 1945 | 724 |
| 1946 | 697 |
| 1947 | 706 |
| 1948 | 734 |
| 1949 | 636 |
| 1950 | 634 |
| 1951 | 627 |
| 1952 | 605 |
| 1953 | 614 |
| 1954 | 589 |
| 1955 | 560 |
| 1956 | 536 |
| 1957 | 546 |
| 1958 | 513 |
| 1959 | 514 |
| 1960 | 520 |
| 1961 | 570 |
| 1962 | 529 |
| 1963 | 513 |
| 1964 | 569 |
| 1965 | 521 |
| 1966 | 546 |
| 1967 | 483 |
| 1968 | 462 |
| 1969 | 481 |
| 1970 | 507 |
| 1971 | 495 |
| 1972 | 478 |
| 1973 | 458 |
| 1974 | 484 |
| 1975 | 479 |
| 1976 | 449 |
| 1977 | 462 |
| 1978 | 429 |
| 1979 | 451 |
| 1980 | 499 |
| 1981 | 480 |
| 1982 | 513 |
| 1983 | 445 |
| 1984 | 465 |
| 1985 | 520 |
| 1986 | 431 |
| 1987 | 419 |
| 1988 | 398 |
| 1989 | 412 |
| 1990 | 453 |
| 1991 | 450 |
| 1992 | 483 |
| 1993 | 414 |
| 1994 | 456 |
| 1995 | 400 |
| 1996 | 422 |
| 1997 | 449 |
| 1998 | 483 |
| 1999 | 472 |
| 2000 | 476 |
| 2001 | 472 |
| 2002 | 513 |
| 2003 | 568 |
| 2004 | 554 |
| 2005 | 654 |
| 2006 | 644 |
| 2007 | 716 |
| 2008 | 728 |
| 2009 | 768 |
| 2010 | 842 |
| 2011 | 900 |
| 2012 | 885 |
| 2013 | 982 |
| 2014 | 1,168 |
| 2015 | 1,162 |
| 2016 | 1,144 |
| 2017 | 1,082 |
| 2018 | 1,102 |
| 2019 | 1,246 |
| 2020 | 1,143 |
| 2021 | 1,091 |
| 2022 | 1,219 |
| 2023 | 1,157 |
| 2024 | 1,211 |
Lena through the decades
- Lena peaked in 1917, when 3,015 babies were named Lena in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Lena has risen 39% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Lena currently ranks #263 in the US and is holding steady.
Nicknames
Lena
Variants & spellings
Lina
Famous people named Lena
- Lena Horne — singer and actress