Total births
146,479
Girls' name · since 1880
Lena
146,479 babies named Lena in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1917. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #262
- among girls today
- 146,479
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other girls
146,479 babies have been named Lena since 1880, making it today's #262 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Lena has been recorded 146,479 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #262 nationally and more common than 99% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1910s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #262 among girls today
- 146,479 born since 1880
- 1910s peak decade
- 99% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Lena is currently the #262 girls' name in America, more common than 99% of girls - 146,479 born since 1880, peaking in the 1910s.
- #262
- among girls today
- 146,479
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other girls
Lena vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#262
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99% of names given to girls today.
1910s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Lena was born in this single decade.
1917
Single peak year
3,004 babies were named Lena in 1917 - its busiest year on record.
How Lena compares
146,479 Top 2% higher than 98% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Lena's all-time total is 383x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lena | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 146,479 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 3,004 | 48 | 19,840 |
Lena's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Lena's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 32% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 68%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1988, with only 398 births recorded -- set against the 1917 peak of 3,004, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Lena at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1917
Current rank
#262
Active since
1880
Lena popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1917)
- 3,004
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Lena popularity over time - boys
326 total births recorded since 1888 (Lena as boys' name)
Lena by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1910s was Lena's strongest decade.
23,624 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Lena births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 8,691
1880s
8,691 births
- 1890s
1890s
12,491 births
- 1900s
1900s
12,703 births
- 1910s
1910s
23,624 births
- 1920s
1920s
22,844 births
- 1930s
1930s
10,539 births
- 1940s 7,367
1940s
7,367 births
- 1950s 5,732
1950s
5,732 births
- 1960s 5,193
1960s
5,193 births
- 1970s 4,680
1970s
4,680 births
- 1980s 4,583
1980s
4,583 births
- 1990s 4,484
1990s
4,484 births
- 2000s 6,097
2000s
6,097 births
- 2010s
2010s
10,516 births
- 2020s 6,935
2020s
6,935 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 23,624 births (16% of all-time use).
How Lena compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Lena's total volume
Lena vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Lena by state
Where Lena concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 9,663 | 6.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 6,939 | 4.7% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 6,894 | 4.7% |
| #4 | California | | 6,499 | 4.4% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 5,117 | 3.5% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 4,434 | 3.0% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 4,095 | 2.8% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 3,859 | 2.6% |
New York share of Lena's total US births 6.6%
Even split
9,663 of 146,479 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Lena appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lena? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 146,479 babies named Lena. Today it holds rank #262 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1917, with 3,004 births.
When was Lena most popular? ▼
Lena was most popular in the 1910s decade with 23,624 total births. The single peak year was 1917.
Where is Lena most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lena are New York (9,663 births), Texas (6,939 births), Pennsylvania (6,894 births).
How long has the name Lena been used? ▼
Records for Lena go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Lena? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lenora, Lenore, Lennon, Lennox, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Lena's data
- Lena's decade-level peak was the 1910s (23,624 total births); usage has since declined to 6,935 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Lenas (9,663 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Lena
Nearby Names Like Lena
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lena
Lenora Girl
#715 37,058 births
Lenore Girl
#2011 22,968 births
Lennon Girl
#235 12,576 births
Lennox Girl
#688 5,409 births
Lennie Girl
#3120 4,835 births
Compare Lena side by side: Lena vs Lenora Lena vs Lenore Lena vs Lennon
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lena
Lilly #261
66,728 births · Peak 2010
Elianna #263
13,497 births · Peak 2025
Shiloh #260
15,117 births · Peak 2024
Harmony #264
36,226 births · Peak 2015
Ophelia #259
25,770 births · Peak 2024
Aspen #265
24,726 births · Peak 2022
Palmer #258
9,389 births · Peak 2025
Rowan #266
22,225 births · Peak 2018
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Lena: #262 Girls' Name - 146,479 Births, Peak 1917." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lena. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Lena draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.