Selena
Selena was the 268th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,170 babies. Its best year was 1995, when it ranked 91st with 3,825 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 53 places. More babies were named Selena in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Greek, Latin
Say it suh-LEE-nuh /səˈlinə/
- Rank in 2025
- #268 girls, down 26 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,170girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19953,825 babies
- Total since 1880
- 59,944babies recorded
What does the name Selena mean?
Selena has two possible sources, Wiktionary explains: a variant of Selina, which may come from Latin caelum, 'sky, heaven', or the Greek Selene, the goddess and personification of the moon. Wikipedia considers it a probable variant of Selene. In the US the name is associated with the Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla (1971 to 1995), whom Wikipedia lists among its bearers.
Σελήνη (Ancient Greek, “Selene, the moon”)caelum (Latin, “sky, heaven (in Selina)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Greek Selene 'moon' or Latin-based Selina; sources give both.
Related names: Selina, Selene, Celina, Salina.
See also: Greek names, names that mean sky, star, moon or sun.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Selena', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Selena (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Selena popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 57 since 1995.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #268 | 1,170 |
| 2020 | #242 | 1,243 |
| 2010 | #328 | 984 |
| 2000 | #194 | 1,645 |
| 1990 | #779 | 263 |
| 1980 | #470 | 452 |
| 1970 | #594 | 297 |
| 1960 | #720 | 199 |
| 1950 | #1,222 | 58 |
| 1940 | #1,736 | 22 |
| 1930 | #1,126 | 44 |
| 1920 | #1,115 | 46 |
| 1910 | #967 | 21 |
| 1900 | #856 | 20 |
| 1890 | #753 | 14 |
| 1880 | #928 | 5 |
How popular is Selena, counting every spelling?
Selena is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #203 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #268 for Selena on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,710 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selena | 1,170 | #268 | 6,504 |
| Celina | 329 | #829 | 1,287 |
| Selina | 176 | #1,278 | 859 |
| Salina | 35 | #4,154 | 173 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Selena?
1,170 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Selena (0.32 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Selena born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 7 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Selena.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Selena?
About 56,900 people born in the US named Selena are alive today, with a median age of 25; half are between 12 and 31. That makes Selena mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Selena by state
How common Selena was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Mexico (3.8×), Nevada (2.9×), Delaware (2.2×), Arizona (2.0×), California (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in West Virginia, Montana, South Dakota.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Selena: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Selena, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Selena · Sibling names for Selena
Questions about the name Selena
What does Selena mean?
The origin of Selena is uncertain: Greek Selene 'moon' or Latin-based Selina; sources give both.
How popular is the name Selena?
Selena was the 268th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,170 babies. Its best year was 1995, when it ranked 91st with 3,825 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 53 places. More babies were named Selena in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Selena a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Selena in the US.
Where is Selena most popular?
In 2021–2025, Selena was most common in New Mexico (3.04 per 1,000 girls), followed by Nevada and Delaware.