Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 2007

Svetlana

Meaning light Gender Girl Rank 2025 #6,520

Transliteration of Russian Светла́на (Svetlána), from свет (svet, “light”).

Rank 2025
#6,520
among girls · ↓930 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
18
named Svetlana · -22% vs 2024
How common
1 in 89,293
girls born in 2025
Peak year
2007
51 babies
All-time total
928
#7,913 all-time among girls
First recorded
1967
in Social Security records

Svetlana popularity over time

928 babies have been named Svetlana since 1967, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.020.020.0318801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2007Girls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s – – – –
1920s – – – –
1930s – – – –
1940s – – – –
1950s – – – –
1960s 21 2 – #4,457
1970s 61 6 +190% #5,937
1980s 17 2 -72% #11,613
1990s 154 15 +806% #4,826
2000s 292 29 +90% #3,327
2010s 246 25 -16% #3,910
2020s (to 2025) 137 23 -7% #4,864

The story of Svetlana

Svetlana is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #6,520 in 2025 with 18 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1967, 928 American babies have been named Svetlana. Its peak came in 2007, when 51 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

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 Svetlana stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Svetlana?

The median living Svetlana is about 18 years old; half are between 9 and 26. An estimated 900 people named Svetlana are alive in the United States today.

median 18 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Svetlana year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank
2025 18 #6,520
2024 23 #5,590
2023 26 #5,111
2022 21 #5,961
2021 22 #5,726
2020 27 #4,864
2019 21 #5,957
2018 29 #4,759
2017 24 #5,504
2016 20 #6,381
2015 26 #5,282
2014 17 #7,268
2013 29 #4,875
2012 40 #3,910
2011 22 #6,126
2010 18 #7,186
2009 28 #5,214
2008 35 #4,443
2007 51 #3,327
2006 29 #4,938
2005 30 #4,568
2004 18 #6,737
2003 20 #6,025
2002 31 #4,166
2001 24 #4,994
2000 26 #4,638
1995 21 #4,826
1990 11 #7,822
1985 – –
1980 – –
1975 5 #10,391
1970 8 #6,296
1965 – –
1960 – –
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Svetlana

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Svetlana Alliluyeva Svetlana Alliluyeva Youngest child of Joseph Stalin (1926–2011) Contemporary
  2. 2 Svetlana Alexievich Svetlana Alexievich Belarusian investigative journalist and essayist (Born: 1948) Contemporary
  3. 3 Svetlana Khodchenkova Svetlana Khodchenkova Russian actress b. 1983 · Contemporary
  4. 4 Svetlana Medvedeva Svetlana Medvedeva Russian economist (born 1965) Contemporary
  5. 5 Svetlana Kuznetsova Svetlana Kuznetsova Russian tennis player (born 1985) Contemporary
  6. 6 Svetlana Savitskaya Svetlana Savitskaya Soviet cosmonaut (born 1948) Contemporary
  7. 7 Svetlana Khorkina Svetlana Khorkina Russian artistic gymnast (born 1979) Contemporary
  8. 8 Svetlana Loboda Svetlana Loboda Ukrainian singer (born 1982) Contemporary
  9. 9 Svetlana Zakharova Svetlana Zakharova Ukrainian prima ballerina (born 1979) Contemporary
  10. 10 Svetlana Boginskaya Svetlana Boginskaya Belarusian gymnast b. 1973 · Contemporary
  11. 11 Svetlana Abrosimova Basketball player, Russia b. 1980 · Contemporary
  12. 12 Svetlana Masterkova Russian middle-distance runner (born 1968) Contemporary
  13. 13 Svetlana Romashina Svetlana Romashina Russian synchronized swimmer b. 1989 · Contemporary
  14. 14 Svetlana Toma Svetlana Toma Moldovan actress b. 1947 · Contemporary
  15. 15 Svetlana Feofanova Svetlana Feofanova Russian pole vaulter (born 1980) Contemporary
  16. 16 Svetlana Zhurova Svetlana Zhurova Russian speed skater b. 1972 · Contemporary
  17. 17 Svetlana Podobedova Athlete, Russia b. 1986 · Contemporary
  18. 18 Svetlana Gerasimenko Svetlana Gerasimenko Soviet and Tajikistani astronomer (1945–2025) Contemporary
  19. 19 Svetlana Gannushkina Svetlana Gannushkina Russian human rights activist b. 1942 · Contemporary
  20. 20 Svetlana Ishmouratova Svetlana Ishmouratova Russian biathlete (born 1972) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Svetlana, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Svetlana?

The median living Svetlana is about 18 years old. Half of all living Svetlanas are between 9 and 26 years old.

How many people named Svetlana are alive today?

An estimated 900 people named Svetlana are alive in the United States, based on 928 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Svetlana mean?

Transliteration of Russian Светла́на (Svetlána), from свет (svet, “light”).

How popular is the name Svetlana in 2025?

Svetlana ranked #6,520 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 18 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Svetlana?

928 babies have been named Svetlana in the United States since 1967, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Svetlana most popular?

Svetlana peaked in 2007, when 51 newborns received the name.

Is Svetlana a boy or girl name?

Svetlana is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Svetlana rising or falling?

Svetlana has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Svetlana?

Well-known people named Svetlana include Svetlana Alliluyeva (writer), Svetlana Alexievich (writer), Svetlana Khodchenkova (actor).

Names like Svetlana

Names that sound and feel close to Svetlana: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Svetlana with similar names → More names starting with S →