Analena
A feminine name of unknown origin, perhaps a variant of Magdalena.
Name Census estimates that about 184 living Americans carry the first name Analena. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Analena today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Analena births was 2012 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Analena. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
184
~ 1 in 1,862,795 Americans
Peak year
2012
15 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#15,410
Tracked since 2002
Popularity
Analena: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Analena from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 107 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Analena by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Analena during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Analenas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Analena
The name Analena is believed to have originated from the ancient Greek language, with its roots dating back to the classical period of Greece in the 5th century BC. The name is thought to be derived from the Greek word "analeo," which means "to melt" or "to dissolve." This connection suggests that the name may have been associated with ideas of warmth, gentleness, or perhaps even resilience.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Analena can be found in the works of the renowned Greek playwright Euripides. In his tragedy "Iphigenia in Aulis," written around 405 BC, a character named Analena is mentioned, although her role in the play is minor.
During the Byzantine era, which spanned from the 4th to the 15th century AD, the name Analena gained popularity among the Greek-speaking populations of the Eastern Roman Empire. Historical records from this period indicate that several women of noble birth bore this name, although their specific identities remain obscure.
In the 12th century, a prominent figure named Analena of Antioch gained recognition for her philanthropic efforts and support of the local church in the city of Antioch, which was then part of the Byzantine Empire. Her exact years of birth and death are unknown, but her legacy as a benefactor has been preserved in various historical accounts.
Another notable individual with the name Analena was a 15th-century Greek scholar and philosopher who lived during the Renaissance period. Analena Philiou, born in 1435 in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), was renowned for her extensive knowledge of classical Greek literature and her contributions to the revival of ancient Greek learning.
Moving forward in time, the name Analena resurfaced in the 19th century when a Greek artist and painter, Analena Dimitriou (1825-1892), gained recognition for her intricate portraits and landscapes. Her works were widely exhibited across Europe and are now housed in various art museums and galleries.
While the name Analena has its roots in ancient Greek culture, it has also been adopted and adapted by other cultures and languages over the centuries. However, its usage has remained relatively rare, making it a unique and intriguing name with a rich historical background.
People
Analena + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Analena as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Analena: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Analena?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 184 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Analena going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,862,795 US residents.
Is Analena a common name?
We classify Analena as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 186 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Analena most popular?
The single biggest year for Analena was 2012, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Analena is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Analena in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Analena a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Analena in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Analena still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Analena in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Analena can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Analena?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.