Selena
Selena is a feminine given name, a probable variant of Selene, the goddess and personification of the Moon in Greek mythology and religion.
- Spanish
- English
- Greek Mythology
Meaning & Origin of Selena
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Selena is a feminine given name, a probable variant of Selene, the goddess and personification of the Moon in Greek mythology and religion.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Spanish
- English
- Greek Mythology
The Story of Selena
Selena first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1995: 3,825 births, good for #91 nationwide. The 1990s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 25% of all recorded Selenas. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #245 among baby girl names with 1,291 births, holding steady (-3%). In total, more than 61K Selenas 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 Selena
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Selena. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Selena
Phonetically similar names — useful when Selena 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 Selena
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About the name Selena
Selena is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 61K births in the dataset. Selena's peak popularity came in 1995 when it ranked #91. Use the chart and map above to compare Selena's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1995 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- 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.