Yelena: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#1,807

among girls · ↑699 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

112

named Yelena · +56% vs 2024

How common

1 in 14,351

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2022

145 babies

All-time total

1,626

#5,407 all-time among girls

First recorded

1961

in Social Security records

Yelena popularity over time

1,626 babies have been named Yelena since 1961, 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

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	13	1	–	#5,811
1970s	16	2	+23%	#9,654
1980s	53	5	+231%	#5,455
1990s	151	15	+185%	#4,054
2000s	480	48	+218%	#2,495
2010s	422	42	-12%	#3,009
2020s (to 2025)	491	82	+94%	#1,504

Where Yelena is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	132	0.08	outside top 500
2027	152	0.09	outside top 500
2028	171	0.11	outside top 500
2029	190	0.12	outside top 500
2030	207	0.13	outside top 500

Where Yelena is most popular

Girls named Yelena per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.057 per 1,000. Strongest in New Mexico, Texas, and California.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Yelena born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Girls 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
New Mexico	5	0.206	+261%
Texas	88	0.109	+92%
California	90	0.107	+88%
Arizona	14	0.100	+75%
Colorado	11	0.099	+73%
North Carolina	12	0.053	-7%
New York	16	0.040	-29%
Florida	9	0.021	-63%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Georgia	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Illinois	–	–	–
Indiana	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Massachusetts	–	–	–
Maryland	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Michigan	–	–	–
Minnesota	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Jersey	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Ohio	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Pennsylvania	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Tennessee	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Virginia	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Washington	–	–	–
Wisconsin	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Yelena

Yelena is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #1,807 in 2025 with 112 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1961, 1,626 American babies have been named Yelena. Its peak came in 2022, when 145 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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

How old are people named Yelena?

The median living Yelena is about 13 years old; half are between 4 and 21. An estimated 1,600 people named Yelena are alive in the United States today.

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

Yelena year by year

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

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	112	#1,807
2024	72	#2,506
2023	71	#2,515
2022	145	#1,504
2021	62	#2,783
2020	29	#4,643
2019	38	#3,916
2018	31	#4,557
2017	43	#3,624
2016	56	#3,009
2015	39	#3,913
2014	48	#3,367
2013	42	#3,699
2012	36	#4,209
2011	48	#3,405
2010	41	#3,811
2009	52	#3,247
2008	70	#2,662
2007	57	#3,094
2006	50	#3,313
2005	48	#3,256
2004	53	#2,996
2003	66	#2,495
2002	29	#4,377
2001	28	#4,441
2000	27	#4,521
1995	19	#5,214
1990	12	#7,297
1985	–	–
1980	6	#10,380
1975	–	–
1970	–	–
1965	7	#5,811
1960	–	–
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Famous people named Yelena

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

1 Yelena Isinbayeva Russian Olympic pole-vaulter b. 1982 · Contemporary
2 Yelena Baturina Russian billionaire (born 1963) Contemporary
3 Yelena Shushunova Soviet Russian gymnast (1969–2018) Contemporary
4 Yelena Bonner Human rights activist in the Soviet Union (1923–2011) Contemporary
5 Yelena Davydova Russian-Canadian gymnast and gymnastics coach b. 1961 · Contemporary
6 Yelena Podkaminskaya Russian actress b. 1979 · Contemporary
7 Yelena Slesarenko Russian high jumper b. 1982 · Contemporary
8 Yelena Serova Russian cosmonaut and politician (born 1976) Contemporary
9 Yelena Kondakova Russian cosmonaut (born 1957) Contemporary
10 Yelena Leuchanka Belarusian basketball player (born 1983) Contemporary
11 Yelena Romanova Russian distance runner (1963-2007) Contemporary
12 Yelena Yelesina Soviet/Russian high jumper b. 1970 · Contemporary
13 Yelena Dembo Greek chess player (born 1983) Contemporary
14 Yelena Prokhorova Russian heptathlete (born 1978) Contemporary
15 Yelena Vyalbe Russian cross-country skier b. 1968 · Contemporary
16 Yelena Nikolayeva Russian race walker b. 1966 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Yelena?

The median living Yelena is about 13 years old. Half of all living Yelenas are between 4 and 21 years old.

How many people named Yelena are alive today?

An estimated 1,600 people named Yelena are alive in the United States, based on 1,626 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Yelena mean?

From Bulgarian, Macedonian, and Russian Еле́на (Jeléna), from Latin Helena, from Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē).

How popular is the name Yelena in 2025?

Yelena ranked #1,807 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 112 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Yelena?

1,626 babies have been named Yelena in the United States since 1961, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Yelena most popular?

Yelena peaked in 2022, when 145 newborns received the name.

Is Yelena a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Yelena rising or falling?

Yelena is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Yelena become more popular?

Yelena is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 207 girls named Yelena in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Yelena?

Well-known people named Yelena include Yelena Isinbayeva (athlete), Yelena Baturina (businessperson), Yelena Shushunova (gymnast).

Names like Yelena

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

Compare Yelena with similar names → More names starting with Y →