Svetlana
Transliteration of Russian Светла́на (Svetlána), from свет (svet, “light”).
Every Svetlana since 1967 — 928 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
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.
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
- Svetlana Alexievich Writer · b. 1948
- Svetlana Alliluyeva Writer · 1926–2011
- Svetlana Savitskaya Astronaut · b. 1948
- Svetlana Gerasimenko Astronomer · b. 1945
- Svetlana Medvedeva Politician · b. 1965
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
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 Alexievich (writer), Svetlana Alliluyeva (writer), Svetlana Savitskaya (astronaut).