Lena

What does Lena mean?

Lena has two main name histories. As a short form of Helena or Yelena, it belongs to Helen's Greek family, whose meaning is uncertain but is often connected with “torch,” or possibly “moon.” As a shortening of Magdalena, it means “from Magdala,” a place whose Aramaic name meant “tower.”

Those longer names have given Lena a place in several European languages. Its four letters and two syllables also work independently, and Lena has a long history as a complete first name in the United States.

From Helena and Magdalena to Lena

Helena is a Latinate form of Helen, while Yelena belongs to the Russian branch of the same family. Helen's history reaches back to Greek mythology, and Saint Helena, mother of the emperor Constantine, helped establish its Christian tradition in the fourth century.

Magdalena follows a different route. It comes from Magdalene, the title identifying Mary Magdalene with Magdala, a village beside the Sea of Galilee. Devotion to Mary Magdalene helped make the longer name familiar during the Middle Ages.

Lena draws on the ending shared by these names. Its use extends across German, Scandinavian, Slavic, and other European naming traditions, with different pronunciations as it moves between languages.

Lena Horne and classic film

Singer and actress Lena Horne gives the name a memorable connection with twentieth-century entertainment. In the 1943 musical Stormy Weather, she played singer Selina Rogers opposite Bill Robinson's performer Bill Williamson.

Their characters' intersecting careers provide the setting for songs and dance numbers featuring Horne and other performers, including Cab Calloway and Fats Waller. The film entered the National Film Registry in 2001, preserving an important showcase for Black American performers.

Lena Waithe and television

Writer and performer Lena Waithe offers a more recent screen association. She played Denise in Master of None and won the 2017 Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for its episode “Thanksgiving.”

The episode drew partly on her own experience of coming out to her mother. Waithe also created The Chi, giving the name a connection with television storytelling both in front of and behind the camera.

Pronunciation and related forms

English commonly uses LEE-nuh. LEH-na is familiar in Polish and Italian, while German and Swedish use a longer first vowel. Wiktionary also records an English LEH-nuh pronunciation.

Leni and Leena are related forms, while Helena, Yelena, and Magdalena provide longer family connections. Lena itself is widely used without an expanded form.

Lena in the United States

Lena reached No. 41 among American girls in 1884. Its largest annual count came later, with 3,004 babies in 1917. It ranked No. 279 in 2025, close to its No. 271 position in 2020, combining substantial nineteenth-century use with a continuing modern presence.

How popular is Lena?

In 2025, Lena ranked #279 among girls in the United States, with 1,106 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for girls in 1880; its largest annual count was 3,004 in 1917. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.