Given name & surname
Milana
“the favored one”
Milana is a variant of Milena. One Slavic interpretation is “the favored one.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Milana is a variant of Milena. One Slavic interpretation is “the favored one.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Milana is a variant of Milena. An origin associated with Milena is Slavic.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1947. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Milana through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 7,027
- 0 boys · 7,027 girls
- Most popular year
- 2015
- 421 babies
- 2025
- 336
- #812 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −5%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 336 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 812 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 4.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 421 in 2015. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (45). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 5,092 as a first name in 2020; 391 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.
Milana’s family of names
Milana has a related form in Milena. In Macedonian usage, Milana is a Roman-alphabet rendering of Милана. In German usage, Milana has a conventional equivalent in the Russian form Милена.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 4
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 5
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Milana
- Milana VayntrubAmerican actressborn 1987
- Milana TerloevaFrench-speaking Chechen writerborn 1979
- Milana DadashevaRussian amateur wrestlerborn 1995
- Milana TazhenovaRussian handball playerborn 1999
- Milana NagarajIndian actressborn 1989
- Milana MisicFinnish singerborn 1970
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Milana, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Milani
Milani is a feminine given name.
>99% girls
Alayna
“beautiful and fair woman; dear child”
>99% girls
Amina
“honest; trustworthy; faithful” · “faithful, trustworthy”
>99% girls
Mila
“one who is industrious and hardworking”
>99% girls
Malia
“Mary” · “calm”
>99% girls
Myla
“one who is merciful”
>99% girls
Arianna
“resembling silver” · “one who is holy”
>99% girls
Ximena
“one who listens well” · “one who is heard”
>99% girls