Total births
59,887
Girls' name · since 1880
Selena
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 59,887 babies named Selena, peaking in 1995. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #245
- among girls today
- 59,887
- born since 1880
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other girls
59,887 babies have been named Selena since 1880, making it today's #245 girls' name.
Selena has 59,887 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #245 as of the latest data, more common than 99% of girls, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #245 among girls today
- 59,887 born since 1880
- 1990s peak decade
- 99% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Selena is currently the #245 girls' name in America, more common than 99% of girls - 59,887 born since 1880, peaking in the 1990s.
- #245
- among girls today
- 59,887
- born since 1880
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other girls
Selena vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#245
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Selena was born in this single decade.
1995
Single peak year
3,825 babies were named Selena in 1995 - its busiest year on record.
How Selena compares
59,887 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Selena's all-time total is 157x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Selena | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 59,887 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 3,825 | 48 | 19,840 |
Selena's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Selena's full recorded timeline at 1953, 96% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 4% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1880, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1995 peak of 3,825 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Selena at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1995
Current rank
#245
Active since
1880
Selena popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1995)
- 3,825
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Selena popularity over time - boys
57 total births recorded since 1995 (Selena as boys' name)
Selena by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Selena's strongest decade.
15,043 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Selena births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 102
1880s
102 births
- 1890s 143
1890s
143 births
- 1900s 179
1900s
179 births
- 1910s 318
1910s
318 births
- 1920s 424
1920s
424 births
- 1930s 327
1930s
327 births
- 1940s 455
1940s
455 births
- 1950s 964
1950s
964 births
- 1960s 2,535
1960s
2,535 births
- 1970s 4,843
1970s
4,843 births
- 1980s 3,362
1980s
3,362 births
- 1990s
1990s
15,043 births
- 2000s
2000s
12,417 births
- 2010s
2010s
11,028 births
- 2020s
2020s
7,747 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 15,043 births (25% of all-time use).
How Selena 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 Selena's total volume
Selena vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Selena by state
Where Selena concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 9,274 | 15.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 6,369 | 10.6% |
| #3 | New York | | 3,464 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Florida | | 3,253 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 2,492 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 2,087 | 3.5% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 1,835 | 3.1% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 1,830 | 3.1% |
California share of Selena's total US births 15.5%
Even split
9,274 of 59,887 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.
Selena appears in 50 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Selena? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 59,887 babies named Selena. Today it holds rank #245 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1995, with 3,825 births.
When was Selena most popular? ▼
Selena was most popular in the 1990s decade with 15,043 total births. The single peak year was 1995.
Where is Selena most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Selena are California (9,274 births), Texas (6,369 births), New York (3,464 births).
How long has the name Selena been used? ▼
Records for Selena go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Selena? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Selma, Selina, Selah, Selene, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Selena's data
- Selena's usage has stayed within range of its 1990s decade-level peak (15,043 total births) through the 2020s (7,747) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Selenas (9,274 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Selena
Nearby Names Like Selena
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Selena
Selma Girl
#2776 26,881 births
Selina Girl
#1306 19,225 births
Selah Girl
#279 15,187 births
Selene Girl
#674 9,713 births
Sela Girl
#4132 1,328 births
Compare Selena side by side: Selena vs Selma Selena vs Selina Selena vs Selah
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Selena
Reagan #244
65,739 births · Peak 2016
Rachel #246
573,957 births · Peak 1985
Mariana #243
45,887 births · Peak 2005
Kimberly #247
846,393 births · Peak 1970
Diana #242
368,487 births · Peak 1957
Faith #248
147,851 births · Peak 2003
Dahlia #241
19,359 births · Peak 2025
Miriam #249
117,910 births · Peak 1924
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. "Selena: #245 Girls' Name - 59,887 Births, Peak 1995." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/selena. 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 Selena 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.