The first name Selene
A girl’s name from Greek meaning “light”.
Pronounced /səˈlini/ 2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Greek origin
Selene means “light” in Greek.
From the Ancient Greek Σελήνη (Selḗnē, proper noun), from σέλας (sélas, “light”).
More names that mean light.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 37 girls were named Selene, making it the 951st most popular girls’ name.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Selene with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Selene at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 469 girls born in the United States were named Selene, the 623rd most popular girls’ name that 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.
Selene in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Selene in Catalan, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese too.
Famous people named Selene
1 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Selene JohnsonAmerican actress (1876-1960)
More Greek girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Selene mean?
- Selene means “light” in Greek.
- What is the origin of the name Selene?
- From the Ancient Greek Σελήνη (Selḗnē, proper noun), from σέλας (sélas, “light”).
- How popular is the name Selene?
- In 2025, 37 girls born in England and Wales were named Selene, ranking 951st.
- Is Selene a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 9,718 US babies named Selene since 1880 were girls.
- When was Selene most popular?
- 2025 in the United States, when 469 babies were named Selene, its highest rank at 623rd.
- How do you pronounce Selene?
- Selene is /səˈlini/, 2 syllables.