Selene
Girl name · #622 in 2025 · Distinctive
Selene is currently the #622 girl name in the United States — 469 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1175, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 3,838 girls born in 2025 was named Selene.
The 106-year story
Selene first appears in the Social Security records in 1919, when 5 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 469 babies and a rank of #621. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Selene per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Selene against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Selene in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Selene is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Selene is most common
Geography matters for names, and Selene is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Selene is most common in CA (0.6 per 1,000), FL (0.6 per 1,000), MA (0.5 per 1,000), NY (0.5 per 1,000), VA (0.5 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.4 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Selene is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Selene
Statistically, parents drawn to Selene tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Serene, Abilene, Salome, Saige, and Samira.
SereneAbileneSalomeSaigeSamiraAndieSorayaSoleil
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Selene | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 469 | #621 |
| 2024 | 426 | #674 |
| 2023 | 401 | #708 |
| 2022 | 425 | #689 |
| 2021 | 397 | #720 |
| 2020 | 337 | #803 |
| 2019 | 313 | #854 |
| 2018 | 327 | #830 |
| 2017 | 292 | #915 |
| 2016 | 204 | #1210 |
| 2015 | 214 | #1175 |
| 2014 | 194 | #1248 |
| 2013 | 215 | #1126 |
| 2012 | 240 | #1050 |
| 2011 | 170 | #1354 |
| 2010 | 179 | #1311 |
| 2009 | 197 | #1249 |
| 2008 | 202 | #1242 |
| 2007 | 225 | #1141 |
| 2006 | 264 | #984 |
| 2005 | 168 | #1314 |
| 2004 | 186 | #1201 |
| 2003 | 108 | #1743 |
| 2002 | 131 | #1456 |
| 2001 | 111 | #1641 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Selene a popular girl name?
Selene ranked #622 among girls in 2025 with 469 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1175.
When was the name Selene most popular?
Selene peaked in 2025, when 469 American girls received the name (ranked #621 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Selene?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 3,838 newborn American girls was named Selene. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.