Nameling

Lena

Gender
Girl
Say it
LEE-na
Origin
Greek
UK rank, 2025
#271 for girls
US rank, 2025
#279 for girls

Lena is a girls' name of Greek origin. In 2025 it ranked 271st for girls in the UK (185 babies) and 279th for girls in the US (1,106 babies).

What does Lena mean?

Greek: short form of Helena, Magdalena and similar names

A short form of names such as Helena and Magdalena, long used as a name in its own right across Europe.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Lena a girl's or a boy's name?

Lena is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 185 girls in the UK and 1,106 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.

How popular is Lena in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#271among girls
Babies in 2025
185about 1 in 1,500 girls
Five-year trend
Fallingdown 45% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 185 girls in the UK were named Lena, making it the 271st most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 187th. Its busiest year was 2014, with 492 girls.

Half of all the girls named Lena in the UK since 1996 were born between 2011 and 2019, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 478 girls in the UK were given Lena or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #135, up from #271 for this spelling alone.

Among girls in 2025, it was 288th in England and Wales, 191st in Scotland and 259th in Northern Ireland.

1996Busiest: 492 in 20142025
Lena in the UK, year by year
YearGirlsRank
2025185#271
2024182#283
2023209#246
2022249#221
2021255#224
2020299#187
2019354#163
2018403#148
2017401#154
2016460#135
2015480#130
2014492#128
2013480#130
2012477#135
2011409#150
2010311#188
2009218#245
2008145#345
200777#538
200690#476
200564#569
200457#595
200353#608
200249#619
200153#588
200031#811
199933#766
199834#761
199740#697
199630#816

How popular is Lena in the US?

Rank in 2025
#279among girls
Babies in 2025
1,106about 1 in 1,500 girls
Five-year trend
Steadymuch the same
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 1,106 girls in the US were named Lena, making it the 279th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 271st. Its busiest year was 1917, with 3,004 girls.

Half of all the girls named Lena in the US since 1880 were born between 1911 and 1971, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 1,866 girls in the US were given Lena or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #195, up from #279 for this spelling alone.

1880Busiest: 3,004 in 19172025
Lena in the US, year by year
YearGirlsRank
20251,106#279
20241,218#262
20231,157#270
20221,220#254
20211,091#294
20201,143#271
20191,246#267
20181,102#302
20171,084#303
20161,144#275
20151,162#273
20141,168#280
2013982#331
2012885#359
2011901#360
2010842#375
2009768#415
2008728#438
2007716#448
2006644#483
2005654#466
2004555#518
2003568#503
2002514#533
2001473#555
2000477#545
1999472#536
1998483#521
1997449#528
1996422#552
1995400#573
1994457#537
1993414#575
1992483#501
1991451#515
1990453#524
1989412#549
1988398#549
1987419#506
1986431#495
1985519#424
1984466#445
1983446#458
1982513#427
1981480#447
1980499#434
1979451#453
1978429#460
1977462#442
1976448#439
1975472#425
1974485#412
1973453#430
1972478#412
1971495#422
1970507#435
1969481#439
1968462#443
1967483#424
1966546#391
1965521#407
1964569#409
1963513#427
1962529#422
1961569#409
1960520#429
1959514#416
1958514#410
1957546#389
1956535#385
1955559#370
1954589#354
1953609#335
1952605#334
1951627#315
1950634#308
1949628#310
1948734#283
1947706#296
1946697#276
1945724#251
1944725#247
1943776#248
1942785#242
1941795#218
1940797#215
1939764#219
1938858#202
1937847#201
1936891#195
1935968#183
19341,076#172
19331,089#165
19321,255#155
19311,302#149
19301,489#144
19291,626#138
19281,803#131
19271,987#130
19262,143#123
19252,235#124
19242,410#112
19232,520#108
19222,625#107
19212,710#104
19202,785#98
19192,872#94
19182,937#93
19173,004#85
19162,869#85
19152,927#77
19142,259#75
19131,973#73
19121,903#72
19111,449#70
19101,431#66
19091,295#65
19081,331#64
19071,238#64
19061,206#61
19051,258#61
19041,228#57
19031,200#56
19021,225#56
19011,216#51
19001,506#52
18991,159#49
18981,320#49
18971,239#50
18961,318#48
18951,289#50
18941,360#42
18931,261#46
18921,234#47
18911,174#45
18901,137#47
18891,096#45
18881,162#45
18871,004#42
1886992#43
1885876#43
1884906#41
1883800#42
1882697#43
1881555#50
1880603#43

Names like Lena

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Cora Lola Ada Eva Clara Nina Nora Rosa Etta Matilda Lottie Alma

Other spellings of Lena

Lina Leena Lyna Leenah

Names related to Lena

Leni Leen Leona Leana Lenna Leyna Luena Leann

More Greek names

Luca Theodore Sophia George Theo Lucas Sofia Alexander Sebastian Penelope Phoebe Margot Luke Chloe Sophie Zoe

Every Greek name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Lena: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/lena, updated 20 October 2026.