Selena Name Meaning

Selena means “moon.” But what does that mean for a person? Those with the name Selena are often thought to be mysterious, radiant, and enchanting. They have a magnetic presence and are known for their gentle, soothing energy. Sounds like a pretty great name to have, if you ask me!

Origins of the Name Selena

The name Selena has Latin roots, with “selene” meaning “moon.” In Greek mythology, Selene was the goddess of the moon, often depicted as a beautiful woman riding a chariot through the night sky. It’s no surprise that the name Selena has been associated with beauty and radiance since ancient times.

Popularity of the Name Selena

Selena’s popularity as a name began to rise in the 1970s and 1980s, but it wasn’t until the 1990s that it truly took off. This can be largely attributed to the rise of Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla, who became a cultural icon and beloved figure in the Latinx community. After her tragic death in 1995, the name Selena became even more popular as a way to honor her memory.

Final Thoughts on the Name Selena

In conclusion, Selena is a name with a rich history and a bright future. Its origins in Greek mythology and association with the goddess of the moon, Selene, give it a timeless and enchanting quality. The rise in popularity of the name is largely attributed to the late Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla, whose legacy lives on. For those with the name Selena, they are often thought to be mysterious, radiant, and enchanting, just like the moon.

Infographic of Selena name meaning, which is A Spanish variant of the Greek Selene, Selena means moon.
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Selena Name Popularity

How popular is the name Selena? Here’s everything we know.

Year Rank # Births % Births
1910 825 7 0.002%
1911 960 5 0.0013%
1912 1,124 5 0.001%
1913 — 0 0%
1914 1,016 11 0.0016%
1915 — 0 0%
1916 — 0 0%
1917 — 0 0%
1918 1,066 18 0.0017%
1919 1,330 8 0.0008%
1920 1,038 21 0.0019%
1921 1,684 5 0.0004%
1922 1,320 11 0.001%
1923 1,082 20 0.0018%
1924 1,436 8 0.0007%
1925 1,309 11 0.001%
1926 1,200 14 0.0013%
1927 — 0 0%
1928 1,095 18 0.0017%
1929 1,102 16 0.0015%
1930 1,033 20 0.0019%
1931 1,553 5 0.0005%
1932 1,314 7 0.0007%
1933 1,079 14 0.0015%
1934 1,412 6 0.0006%
1935 — 0 0%
1936 — 0 0%
1937 1,182 11 0.0011%
1938 1,325 7 0.0007%
1939 1,037 17 0.0017%
1940 — 0 0%
1941 — 0 0%
1942 1,524 6 0.0005%
1943 1,253 13 0.001%
1944 949 29 0.0023%
1945 1,190 14 0.0011%
1946 1,401 11 0.0007%
1947 1,479 11 0.0007%
1948 1,074 31 0.0019%
1949 1,200 23 0.0014%
1950 1,717 6 0.0004%
1951 1,179 25 0.0015%
1952 1,082 35 0.002%
1953 1,172 29 0.0016%
1954 1,091 39 0.0021%
1955 1,345 21 0.0011%
1956 1,730 10 0.0005%
1957 1,451 19 0.001%
1958 679 165 0.0087%
1959 682 163 0.0086%
1960 707 160 0.0084%
1961 616 226 0.012%
1962 641 200 0.0109%
1963 713 157 0.0087%
1964 670 185 0.0105%
1965 591 219 0.0134%
1966 562 237 0.0152%
1967 557 241 0.0159%
1968 564 241 0.016%
1969 589 235 0.0153%
1970 604 235 0.0148%
1971 462 391 0.026%
1972 474 333 0.0244%
1973 362 543 0.0419%
1974 428 416 0.032%
1975 514 302 0.0235%
1976 432 422 0.0327%
1977 297 767 0.0569%
1978 356 561 0.0417%
1979 404 497 0.0352%
1980 477 399 0.0273%
1981 471 411 0.028%
1982 504 353 0.0236%
1983 525 315 0.0213%
1984 537 311 0.0209%
1985 617 255 0.0168%
1986 641 239 0.0158%
1987 745 190 0.0125%
1988 830 167 0.0107%
1989 731 223 0.0138%
1990 769 216 0.013%
1991 710 254 0.0156%
1992 629 319 0.02%
1993 388 620 0.0398%
1994 306 865 0.0564%
1995 91 3,804 0.2524%
1996 143 2,268 0.1515%
1997 157 1,969 0.1331%
1998 139 2,263 0.1512%
1999 153 2,109 0.1408%
2000 191 1,632 0.1068%
2001 215 1,461 0.097%
2002 248 1,262 0.0842%
2003 270 1,147 0.0754%
2004 260 1,224 0.0803%
2005 241 1,351 0.0884%
2006 283 1,142 0.0729%
2007 317 1,019 0.0646%
2008 346 923 0.0597%
2009 320 988 0.0661%
2010 325 951 0.066%
2011 319 946 0.0664%
2012 299 1,023 0.0718%
2013 341 905 0.0636%
2014 342 922 0.0633%
2015 313 985 0.0677%
2016 276 1,101 0.0764%
2017 238 1,278 0.0916%
2018 243 1,281 0.0932%
2019 228 1,301 0.0961%
2020 236 1,203 0.0945%
2021 204 1,331 0.1089%
2022 240 1,239 0.0939%
2023 230 1,281 0.099%

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Data via SSA.gov.

Names Like Selena

If you like Selena, you’ll love these other names like Selena.

What names are diminutives of Selena?

A diminutive is a name that’s like Selena sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Selena, but shorter.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Celie

Blind; sixth; heavenly; the moon

Welsh

Celinette

“The little goddess of the moon.” A French form of Selena.

French

What names are variants of Selena?

Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Selena.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Caleen

The moon

Greek

Caleena

The moon

Greek

Calina

Beautiful, lovely; the moon

Greek

Celene

Heaven; the moon

Latin

Celenia

Heaven; the moon

Latin

Celie

Blind; sixth; heavenly; the moon

Welsh

Celina

Heaven; the moon

Latin

Celinda

Heavenly; heaven; the moon

Latin

Celine

Heaven

Latin

Cellina

The moon

Greek

Celyna

Heavenly; the moon

Latin

Saleena

The moon

Indian (Sanskrit)

Salena

Moon

Arabic, Indian (Sanskrit)

Salina

The moon

Indian (Sanskrit)

Sela

The moon

Greek

Selene

The moon

Greek

Selenia

The moon

Greek

Selenna

The moon

Greek

Selia

Blind; sixth; the moon

Welsh

Selie

The moon

Greek

Selina

The moon

Greek

Selinda

Heaven; the moon

Latin

Seline

Heaven; the moon

Latin

Selyna

The moon

Greek

Selyne

The moon

Greek

Sena

The moon

Greek

Syleena

The moon

Greek

Sylena

The moon

Greek

What names sound like Selena?

If you like how Selena sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Selena.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Ceilena

Blind; sixth

Welsh

Celeena

The moon

Greek

Solana

Sunlight; eastern wind

Spanish

Solina

Sunlight; eastern wind

Spanish

Sylina

The moon

Greek

Zelene
Zelenya
Zelina

What names are similar to Selena?

Find a name that’s like Selena, but just a little bit different.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Celena

The moon

Greek

Zelenia

Greek

Lists With Selena

Find inspiration in these baby girl name lists featuring the name Selena.

Siblings of Selena

Mamas with kids named Selena also have kids with these names.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Faith

Devotion

English

Selina

The moon

Greek

Dominic

Of the Lord

Latin

Alexis

Defender

Greek

Joshua

God is salvation

Hebrew

Eric

Everlasting ruler

Scandinavian

David

Beloved

Hebrew

17 Comments

  1. I love my name, Selena. I was born in 1969 and named after my mother’s classmate

    Reply

  2. I gave it to my daughter because of the moon and Greece.
    Here in Hungary for Szel?na. And it’s very rare here, nobody in the area is called that.

    Reply

  3. I love this name for my daughter

    Reply

  4. Well I like this name because of the Singer Selena Gomez.. Other way I like it because I love moon

    Reply

  5. I love this name

    Reply

  6. We’ll I love Selena because it’s a good name I pick it out because of the American Mexican singer ???

    Reply

  7. My original name was Selena but it was then changed to Kaylee both are beautiful names but I sometimes wish my name had been kept as Selena because it is beautiful as well as classy and also because Selena Quintanilla who was a beautiful singer and anyone with her name should try to live up to her love for other people

    Reply

  8. This is not a Spanish name. It’s Greek. Just because a famous person, who happened to be hispanic, had this name does not suddenly make it Spanish. That would be like folks saying that “Jennifer” is a Spanish name because of Jennifer Lopez.

    Reply

  9. My name is Selena. I?m German but the name is inspired of the godness of moon selene. I love this name because i love the greek Mythologie.

    Reply

  10. The name Selena was on our list from pretty much the get go. I’ve always loved the way it sounds and it was a good combination of not too generic but not too unique. It had many other strong contenders and so we decided we’d wait until she was born to choose. When she finally came into this world after a full moon I knew Selena was the right choice, since it’s an old Greek word for ‘moon.’ She’s my little moon shining perpetual light into my life from now on.

    Reply

    • The name Selena is a pretty name, I named my daughter Selena when she was born.

      Reply

  11. That what i been want to name my baby girl

    Reply

  12. Before my father passed away. He mentioned that if i ever had children and if it was a girl to name her Selena after the famous Mexican/American Singer Selena that passed away 23 years ago.

    Reply

  13. I choose the name Selena after the Latina singer who I adore and looked up too. Beautiful women and name..

    Reply

  14. Picked it bc it’s the name of a singer from the 90’s, Selena Quintanilla.

    Reply

  15. I love the name Selena it sounds absolutely beautiful. The name means a lot because it was a great great grandmother’s name. The name is a bit common which I slightly dislike but i love the way it sounds with my first daughter’s name Liylah.

    Reply

  16. The movie Selena. I love the name.

    Reply

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