Given name
Milena
“the favored one”
Milena is used as a given name. One Slavic interpretation is “the favored one.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Slavic interpretation is “the favored one.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Slavic.
How it developed
In Czech usage, Milena is a feminine form of Milan.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1918. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Milena through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 7,749
- 0 boys · 7,749 girls
- Most popular year
- 2019
- 428 babies
- 2025
- 271
- #950 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −4%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 271 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 950 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 4.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 428 in 2019. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (40). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 8,922 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Milena’s family of names
In Polish usage, Milena has a diminutive in Lena. In Czech usage, Milena is a feminine form of Milan. Milena has a related form in Milana.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Milena has relatives in 8 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Slavic roots to each of them.
8 related names in 8 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 18
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 8
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 3
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Milena
- Mila KunisAmerican actress (born 1983)
- Milena DravićSerbian actress (1940-2018)
- Milena JesenskáCzech journalist, writer, editor and translator (1896-1944)
- Milena MiconiItalian actress and modelborn 1971
- Milena Pavlović-BariliSerbian artist and poet (1909-1945)
- Milena RudnytskaUkrainian women's rights activist, politician and writer (1892-1976)
- Milena of MontenegroQueen consort of Montenegro1847–1923
- Milena VukoticItalian actress (born 1935)
- Milena CanoneroItalian costume designerborn 1949
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Milena, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“God is gracious”
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Loza
“earthenware”
>99% girls