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Name Lineage

    The first name Jelena

    A girl’s name from Bulgarian.

    Pronounced /jɛˈleɪnə/ 3 syllables Female

    Meaning and origin

    Bulgarian origin

    Borrowed from Bulgarian, Macedonian, and Russian Еле́на (Jeléna) and Pannonian Rusyn Єлена (Jelena), from Latin Helena, from Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē). Doublet of Helen and Ellen.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 3 girls were named Jelena, making it the 5,927th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2004, with 11 births (#1,836).

    01020 1996200020052010201520202025
    74
    babies named Jelena, 1996–2025
    #5,927
    rank in 2025
    2004
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Jelena with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Jelena at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 26 girls born in the United States were named Jelena, the 5,030th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2017, when 68 were.

    03570 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    1,633
    babies named Jelena since 1880
    #5,030
    rank in 2025
    2017
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Famous people named Jelena

    15 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Jelena Dokic
      Croatian, later Australian, female tennis player, born 1983
    • Jelena Jensen
      American pornographic actress and model, born 1981
    • Jelena Kostanić Tošić
      Croatian tennis player, born 1981
    • Jelena Rozga
      Croatian pop singer, born 1977
    • Jelena Šubić
      Croatian noblewoman, Queen Mother of Bosnia and mother of King Tvrtko I of Bosnia, 1301–1378
    • Jelena Grubišić
      Croatian handball player, born 1987
    • Jelena Glebova
      Estonian figure skater (born 1989)
    • Jelena Pandžić
      Croatian tennis player, born 1983
    • Jelena Ivezić
      Croatian basketball player (born 1984)
    • Jelena Peeters
      Belgian speed skater and roller speed skater, born 1985
    • Jelena Nemanjić Šubić
      Countess of Klis, Omiš and Skradin
    • Jelena Veljača
      Croatian actress and screenwriter, born 1981

    Questions

    What does the name Jelena mean?
    Borrowed from Bulgarian, Macedonian, and Russian Еле́на (Jeléna) and Pannonian Rusyn Єлена (Jelena), from Latin Helena, from Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē). Doublet of Helen and Ellen.
    What is the origin of the name Jelena?
    Borrowed from Bulgarian, Macedonian, and Russian Еле́на (Jeléna) and Pannonian Rusyn Єлена (Jelena), from Latin Helena, from Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē). Doublet of Helen and Ellen.
    How popular is the name Jelena?
    In 2025, 3 girls born in England and Wales were named Jelena, ranking 5,927th. Its peak was 2004, with 11 births.
    Is Jelena a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 1,633 US babies named Jelena since 1880 were girls.
    When was Jelena most popular?
    2017 in the United States, when 68 babies were named Jelena, its highest rank at 2,583rd.
    How do you pronounce Jelena?
    Jelena is /jɛˈleɪnə/, 3 syllables.