Lalena
A feminine name derived from Latin meaning "to lull".
Name Census estimates that about 260 living Americans carry the first name Lalena. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lalena today is around 52 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lalena births was 1970 (49 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lalena. 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
260
~ 1 in 1,318,286 Americans
Peak year
1970
49 babies that year
Average age
52
years old
2010 SSA rank
#18,610
Tracked since 1968
Census
Lalena in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 291 people with the first name Lalena, which placed it at #30,113 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#30,113
National first-name rank
People counted
291
291 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
62.2% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lalena
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Lalena is White at 62.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.9%) and Black (7.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Lalena described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Lalena at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.2% · 181
- Hispanic or Latino17.9% · 52
- Black or African American7.9% · 23
- Two or more races7.6% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 5
Popularity
Lalena: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lalena from the 1960s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 217 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lalena 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 Lalena during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lalenas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Lalena, while New Jersey, Texas, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 13 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lalena
The name Lalena is of Greek origin, derived from the word "lalein," which means "to speak" or "to talk." It is believed to have emerged during the Classical period of ancient Greece, around the 5th century BCE.
Lalena was a relatively uncommon name in ancient Greece, but it was documented in some historical records and literary works. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in Plato's dialogue "Cratylus," where he discusses the etymology of names and their meanings.
In the Middle Ages, the name Lalena appeared sporadically in various regions of the Mediterranean, including parts of Italy, Spain, and the Byzantine Empire. It was often associated with individuals who were known for their oratory skills or linguistic abilities.
One notable figure with the name Lalena was a Byzantine scholar and poet from the 12th century. She was known for her erudition and contributions to the literary arts, but unfortunately, few details about her life have survived.
During the Renaissance period, the name Lalena experienced a modest resurgence, particularly in Italy. One notable bearer of the name was Lalena Buonarroti (1491-1568), the sister of the renowned artist and sculptor Michelangelo. She played a significant role in managing her brother's affairs and correspondence.
In the 18th century, Lalena Ferrante (1720-1792) was an Italian philosopher and writer who wrote extensively on topics such as ethics, aesthetics, and the role of women in society. Her works were highly influential and contributed to the intellectual discourse of the Enlightenment era.
Another notable figure with the name Lalena was Lalena Zamora (1835-1901), a Spanish poet and activist who championed women's rights and education. Her poetry often explored themes of feminism, social justice, and personal empowerment.
While the name Lalena has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, often associated with intellectual pursuits, literary endeavors, and a strong command of language.
People
Lalena + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lalena as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lalena: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lalena?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 260 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lalena 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 1,318,286 US residents.
Is Lalena a common name?
We classify Lalena as "Very Rare". It ranks above 77.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 291 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lalena most popular?
The single biggest year for Lalena was 1970, when 49 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lalena is about 52 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Lalena in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 291 people with the name Lalena, or 0.10 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #30,113 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Lalena in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Lalena?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Lalena leans strongly female. 292 people counted with this name were female (98.6%), compared with 4 male bearers (1.4%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Lalena?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Lalena is White at 62.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.9%) and Black (7.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Lalena most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Lalena in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.2% (181 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Lalena in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lalena a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lalena 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 Lalena still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lalena 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 Lalena 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.
How many people are named Lalena?
Want to know how many people share the name Lalena? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.