Yelena
Girl name · #1801 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Yelena? In official American birth records, Yelena has been tracked continuously since 1961, giving it 64 years of documented American history.
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. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Yelena against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Yelena in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Yelena is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Yelena will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Yelena is most common
State-level data for Yelena is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
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
How old is the name Yelena?
In official American birth records, the name Yelena first appeared in 1961 (over 64 years ago), when 6 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 64 years.
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. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.