Malena
Malena is a name with multiple cultural origins: Swedish, Spanish.
- Swedish
- Spanish
Meaning & Origin of Malena
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Malena is a name with multiple cultural origins: Swedish, Spanish.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Swedish
- Spanish
The Story of Malena
American parents first put Malena on the record books as a baby girl name in 1886, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2004, when 146 Malenas were born — ranking #1,422 that year. The 2000s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 30% of all recorded Malenas. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #2,365 among baby girl names with 77 births, holding steady (-5%). In total, more than 4K Malenas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Malena
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Malena. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Malena
Phonetically similar names — useful when Malena is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Malena
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About the name Malena
Malena is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1886 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Malena's peak popularity came in 2004 when it ranked #993. Use the chart and map above to compare Malena's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2004 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.