Lena
Lena is a girls' name of Greek origin meaning “bright, shining light.” It ranked #279 in the United States in 2025. A short form of Helena or Magdalena with ancient Greek roots, meaning 'torch' or 'shining light.
how do you pronounce Lena?
LEE-nuh
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Lena mean?
The name Lena means “bright, shining light.” It comes from the Greek language tradition.
A short form of Helena or Magdalena with ancient Greek roots, meaning 'torch' or 'shining light.' It has been a beloved name across Europe for centuries and gained wider appeal in the English-speaking world.
where does the name Lena come from?
Wiktionary and Wikipedia agree Lena is a short form of Helena, and also of Magdalena and Yelena/Elena in Scandinavian, German, and Russian usage. Wikipedia traces this to the Greek Helena (Ἑλένη), giving the meaning as torch or shining light. A separate Wiktionary entry about the Lena River in Yakutia shares only the spelling and is unrelated.
the history of Lena
Wiktionary records Lena first attested as a given name in Sweden in 1481.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #279 |
| 2024 | #262 |
| 2023 | #270 |
| 2022 | #254 |
| 2021 | #294 |
| 2020 | #271 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Lena?
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Lena?
- Lena Dunham (actress/writer)
- Lena Headey (actress)
- Lena Horne (singer)
what names are similar to Lena?
what names go well with Lena?
Sibling names that share Lena's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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