Given name & surname
Serena
“having a peaceful disposition”
Serena is used as a given name and a surname. One Latin interpretation is “having a peaceful disposition.”
Original LatinSerenus
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Latin interpretation is “having a peaceful disposition.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Latin.
How it developed
In Italian usage, Serena is a feminine form of Sereno. In Latin usage, Serena is a feminine form of SERENUS.
The story
The name’s historical associations include an early Christian saint, about whom little is known.
Serena through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 47,466
- 16 boys · 47,450 girls
- Most popular year
- 2000
- 1,504 babies
- 2025
- 942
- #325 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +16%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 942 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 325 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 15.7% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,504 in 2000. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (151). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 38,170 as a first name in 2020; 946 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.
Serena’s family of names
In Polish usage, Serena has a diminutive in SERENKA. In Italian usage, Serena is a feminine form of Sereno. Serena has a related form in Serenity.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Serena has relatives in 7 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.
Latinwhere Serena comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 12
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Serenityvariant
- Serenevariant · English
- Serinavariant
- Sereniteevariant
- Serennalikely variant
- Serynavariant
- Serrenalikely variant
- Sereanavariant
Show 4 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 10
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Serenusmasculine form · Latin
- Cerinarelated form
- Sereinaequivalent
- Serainaequivalent
- Xerenarelated form
- SzerénaHungarian
- СеренаRussian
- HeiterGerman
Show 2 moreShow fewer
See also 3
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Serena
- Serena WilliamsAmerican tennis player (born 1981)
- Serena Auñón-ChancellorAmerican physician, engineer, and NASA astronautborn 1976
- Serena GrandiItalian actressborn 1958
- Serena Scott ThomasBritish actressborn 1961
- Serena RossiItalian actress, singer and television presenterborn 1985
- Serena DeebAmerican professional wrestlerborn 1986
- Serena AutieriItalian singer and actressborn 1976
- Serena OrtolaniItalian Olympic volleyball playerborn 1987
- Serena GordonBritish actressborn 1963
Characters named Serena: Serena van der Woodsen (the Gossip Girl novel series and its TV adaptation).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Serena, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Jori
“farmer” · “one who works the earth”
16% boys · 84% girls
Leandra
“resembling a lioness”
>99% girls
Georgina
“farmer” · “one who works the earth”
>99% girls
Miranda
“one who is worthy of admiration”
>99% girls
Seòrdag
“farmer” · “one who works the earth”
—
Sior(y)s
“farmer” · “one who works the earth”
—
Leandria
“resembling a lioness”
>99% girls
Leiandra
“resembling a lioness”
>99% girls