Jelen first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Jelen has been for the last 31 years (from 1993 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Jelen

A Slavic masculine name derived from the word meaning "deer" or "stag".

Popularity of Jelen by gender

Based on the last 31 years of data, Jelen is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 64% of people named Jelen being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 5 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Jelen.

It's also interesting to see that despite Jelen being historically a mostly male name, the most recent data from 2023 shows a shift in the trend, with more female babies being named Jelen.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 0 5
2020 0 5
2001 6 0
2000 7 0
1993 5 0

The history of the first name Jelen

The name Jelen is believed to have originated from the Slavic languages, specifically Polish and Czech. It is derived from the Slavic word "jelen," which means "deer" or "stag." The name likely emerged sometime during the medieval period, when many Slavic names were inspired by nature and animals.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jelen can be found in medieval Polish and Czech historical records and documents. It was a common name among the nobility and aristocracy of these regions during the Middle Ages.

In the 15th century, a Czech nobleman named Jelen of Žerotín (1425-1489) was a prominent figure in the Hussite Wars, which were religious conflicts in Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic). He played a significant role in defending the city of Prague against the forces of the Holy Roman Empire.

Another noteworthy individual with the name Jelen was Jelen Přemyslovec (1240-1303), a Bohemian prince and member of the Přemyslid dynasty, which ruled over Bohemia from the 9th to the 14th century. He was an influential figure in the politics and governance of the region during his lifetime.

In the 16th century, Jelen Karadžić (1520-1592) was a Serbian writer and translator who made significant contributions to the development of the Serbian literary language. He is credited with translating several important religious texts into Serbian.

During the 19th century, Jelen Dimitrijević (1835-1918) was a Serbian writer, journalist, and politician. He played a crucial role in the Serbian cultural and political movements of the time, advocating for the rights of the Serbian people and the unification of the South Slavic nations.

The name Jelen has also been used in various literary works and folklore throughout the Slavic regions, often appearing as a character or symbolic representation of strength, agility, and grace, reflecting the qualities associated with the deer or stag.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Jelen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Jelen, please contact us.

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"Jelen first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 19, 2025. http://namecensus.com/first-names/jelen-meaning-and-history/.

"Jelen first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/jelen-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 19 October, 2025

Jelen first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/jelen-meaning-and-history/.

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