Selena
Either a variant of Selina, from Latin Caelīna (“heavenly”, from caelum (“sky, heaven”)), or from Selene, the Ancient Greek goddess of the moon.
Every Selena since 1880 — 59,944 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Selena
Selena is moderately common for girls in the United States, ranked #268 in 2025 with 1,170 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 59,944 American babies have been named Selena. Its peak came in 1995, when 3,840 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1990s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Selena stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Selena year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,170 | #268 | — | — |
| 2024 | 1,294 | #245 | — | — |
| 2023 | 1,307 | #229 | — | — |
| 2022 | 1,280 | #239 | — | — |
| 2021 | 1,453 | #203 | — | — |
| 2020 | 1,243 | #242 | — | — |
| 2019 | 1,336 | #234 | — | — |
| 2018 | 1,316 | #248 | — | — |
| 2017 | 1,306 | #243 | — | — |
| 2016 | 1,126 | #287 | — | — |
| 2015 | 1,016 | #321 | — | — |
| 2014 | 960 | #345 | — | — |
| 2013 | 945 | #344 | — | — |
| 2012 | 1,053 | #304 | — | — |
| 2011 | 986 | #319 | — | — |
| 2010 | 984 | #328 | — | — |
| 2009 | 1,019 | #321 | — | — |
| 2008 | 957 | #349 | — | — |
| 2007 | 1,059 | #319 | — | — |
| 2006 | 1,164 | #284 | — | — |
| 2005 | 1,379 | #242 | — | — |
| 2004 | 1,242 | #258 | 6 | #11,121 |
| 2003 | 1,179 | #269 | — | — |
| 2002 | 1,288 | #246 | 5 | #12,189 |
| 2001 | 1,485 | #214 | 6 | #10,337 |
| 2000 | 1,645 | #194 | 6 | #10,131 |
| 1995 | 3,825 | #91 | 15 | #4,237 |
| 1990 | 263 | #779 | — | — |
| 1985 | 310 | #611 | — | — |
| 1980 | 452 | #470 | — | — |
| 1975 | 344 | #518 | — | — |
| 1970 | 297 | #594 | — | — |
| 1965 | 272 | #580 | — | — |
| 1960 | 199 | #720 | — | — |
| 1955 | 59 | #1,317 | — | — |
| 1950 | 58 | #1,222 | — | — |
| 1945 | 50 | #1,119 | — | — |
| 1940 | 22 | #1,736 | — | — |
| 1935 | 29 | #1,378 | — | — |
| 1930 | 44 | #1,126 | — | — |
| 1925 | 43 | #1,193 | — | — |
| 1920 | 46 | #1,115 | — | — |
| 1915 | 40 | #1,071 | — | — |
| 1910 | 21 | #967 | — | — |
| 1905 | 15 | #1,004 | — | — |
| 1900 | 20 | #856 | — | — |
| 1895 | 11 | #1,043 | — | — |
| 1890 | 14 | #753 | — | — |
| 1885 | 15 | #572 | — | — |
| 1880 | 5 | #928 | — | — |
Famous people named Selena
- Selena Gomez Singer · b. 1992
- Selena Singer · 1971–1995
- Selena Rocky Malone Social activist
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Selena mean?
Either a variant of Selina, from Latin Caelīna (“heavenly”, from caelum (“sky, heaven”)), or from Selene, the Ancient Greek goddess of the moon.
How popular is the name Selena in 2025?
Selena ranked #268 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 1,170 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Selena?
59,944 babies have been named Selena in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Selena most popular?
Selena peaked in 1995, when 3,840 newborns received the name.
Is Selena a boy or girl name?
Selena is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Selena rising or falling?
Selena is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Selena?
Well-known people named Selena include Selena Gomez (singer), Selena (singer), Selena Rocky Malone (social activist).