Given name & surname
Lena
“the shining light”·“the favored one”·“of the palm tree”
In Polish use, Lena is a diminutive of Milena. One Slavic interpretation is “the favored one.” Lena is a variant of Lina. One Arabic interpretation is “of the palm tree.”
Original GermanHelena
Meaning & origin
What it means
In German use, Lena carries the interpretation “the shining light.” In Polish use, Lena is a diminutive of Milena. One Slavic interpretation is “the favored one.” Lena is a variant of Lina. One Arabic interpretation is “of the palm tree.” Lena is a diminutive of Elena. In Spanish use, Elena carries the interpretation “the shining light.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is German.
How it developed
Lena is used as a form of Helen.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Lena is a form of Helen. The history of Helen gives this family its wider story. Helen’s historical associations include the mother of the Emperor Constantine.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Lena through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 146,805
- 326 boys · 146,479 girls
- Most popular year
- 1917
- 3,015 babies
- 2025
- 1,106
- #279 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +1%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,106 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 279 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 1.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 3,004 in 1917. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (88). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 51,228 as a first name in 2020; 1,073 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Lena’s family of names
Lena is a short form of Helen. In Swedish usage, Lena shares a linguistic root with the Finnish form Leena. In German usage, Lena has a related form in Magdalena.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Lena has relatives in 15 languages. Lines run from its German roots to each of them.
Nicknames & forms 26
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Helenafull form · German, Swedish
- Magdalenavariant · German, Swedish
- Lenidiminutive · German, Czech
- Lelediminutive · German
- Lenchendiminutive · German
- Elenafull form · Breton
- Helenfull form · English
- Linavariant
Show 18 moreShow fewer
- Milenafull form · Polish
- Leenavariant · Finnish
- Leanavariant · English
- Leynavariant
- Leinavariant
- Lynavariant
- Lenkadiminutive · Slovak, Czech
- Lencyvariant
- Lencivariant
- Lenevariant · Danish, German
- Lenaigdiminutive · Breton
- Leentjediminutive · Dutch
- Lenceavariant
- Lenceevariant
- Lenceyvariant
- Lencievariant
- Hélénafull form · French
- Lénafull form · French, Hungarian
Spellings & scripts 4
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 35
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Lanaequivalent
- Alenaequivalent
- Elinaequivalent
- Ellenequivalent
- Eleniequivalent
- Lennaequivalent
- Yelenaequivalent
- Lelaequivalent
Show 27 moreShow fewer
- Heleneequivalent
- Jelenaequivalent
- Olenaequivalent
- Ilenaequivalent
- Nitsaequivalent
- Leniaequivalent
- Alenkaequivalent
- Jelaequivalent
- Lienaequivalent
- Lehnaequivalent
- Еленаequivalent
- Έλεναequivalent
- Jeļenaequivalent
- Lenuțaequivalent
- Ελένηequivalent
- Lenkeequivalent
- Helkaequivalent
- Lehnequivalent
- Λέλαequivalent
- Ελίναequivalent
- Lenjaequivalent
- ЛинаRussian
- ΛέναGreek
- HélèneFrench
- Νίτσαequivalent
- Јеленаequivalent
- Helénaequivalent
See also 5
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Lena
- Lena Meyer-LandrutGerman singer (born 1991)
- Lena HeadeyBritish actress (born 1973)
- Lena HorneAmerican singer, actress, dancer and activist (1917–2010)
- Lena DunhamAmerican writer, director, actress, and producer (born 1986)
- Lena OlinSwedish stage actress, film actress, beauty pageant contestant, actress (1955–)
- Lee KrasnerAmerican abstract expressionist painter (1908–1984)
- Lena PhilipssonSwedish female pop and schlager singerborn 1966
- Lena Oberdorfassociation football player (2001-)
- Lena EndreSwedish actressborn 1955
Characters named Lena: Tracer (the 2016 video game Overwatch), Lena Luthor (DC Comics).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Lena, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“a famous warrior”
>99% girls
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“determined protector” · “one who is protected”
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Ida
“a king”
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Henrietta
“ruler of the house” · “home”
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Alice
“noble” · “kind”
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Harriet
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>99% girls
Eleanor
“shining light”
>99% girls
Della
“born of the nobility”
>99% girls