Lena
A short form of Helena or Magdalena that became independent in Scandinavia and Germany.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Lena appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 1880 to 1920. Its biggest year was 1917, when 3,004 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 85 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1884, at No. 41. In 2025 it ranked No. 279 for girls. All told, 146,805 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Leona (113,624), Leanna (25,937), Leena (5,785), Leana (4,968), Lenna (4,373), Leeanna (4,008) (total births since 1880)
Explore Lena interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 8,691 | No. 41 |
| 1890s | 12,491 | No. 42 |
| 1900s | 12,703 | No. 51 |
| 1910s | 23,624 | No. 66 |
| 1920s | 22,844 | No. 98 |
| 1930s | 10,539 | No. 144 |
| 1940s | 7,367 | No. 215 |
| 1950s | 5,732 | No. 308 |
| 1960s | 5,193 | No. 391 |
| 1970s | 4,680 | No. 412 |
| 1980s | 4,583 | No. 424 |
| 1990s | 4,484 | No. 501 |
| 2000s | 6,097 | No. 415 |
| 2010s | 10,516 | No. 267 |
| 2020s | 6,935 | No. 254 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.