Yelena
Girl name · #1801 in 2025 · Uniqueness 38/100
Yelena ranks #1801 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 112 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #3842, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 16,071 girls born in 2025 was named Yelena.
The 64-year story
Yelena first appears in the Social Security records in 1961, when 6 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 145 babies and a rank of #1497. 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 Yelena per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Yelena against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Yelena in class?
Yelena scores 38 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Yelena is most common
Geography matters for names, and Yelena is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Yelenas were TX (28), CA (20), AZ (6), NY (5). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Yelena
Statistically, parents drawn to Yelena tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Yasmina, Mileena, Ameena, Leena, and Milena.
YasminaMileenaAmeenaLeenaMilenaSedonaYanaSianna
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Yelena | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 112 | #1796 |
| 2024 | 72 | #2491 |
| 2023 | 71 | #2494 |
| 2022 | 145 | #1497 |
| 2021 | 62 | #2751 |
| 2020 | 29 | #4548 |
| 2019 | 38 | #3851 |
| 2018 | 31 | #4458 |
| 2017 | 43 | #3552 |
| 2016 | 56 | #2966 |
| 2015 | 39 | #3842 |
| 2014 | 48 | #3326 |
| 2013 | 42 | #3645 |
| 2012 | 36 | #4121 |
| 2011 | 48 | #3350 |
| 2010 | 41 | #3745 |
| 2009 | 52 | #3189 |
| 2008 | 70 | #2630 |
| 2007 | 57 | #3047 |
| 2006 | 50 | #3264 |
| 2005 | 48 | #3212 |
| 2004 | 53 | #2965 |
| 2003 | 66 | #2465 |
| 2002 | 29 | #4280 |
| 2001 | 28 | #4321 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Yelena a popular girl name?
Yelena ranked #1801 among girls in 2025 with 112 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3842.
When was the name Yelena most popular?
Yelena peaked in 2022, when 145 American girls received the name (ranked #1497 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Yelena?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 16,071 newborn American girls was named Yelena. It scores 38/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify 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.