Rosalene
A feminine name combining the words for "rose" and "light".
Name Census estimates that about 174 living Americans carry the first name Rosalene. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rosalene today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rosalene births was 1938 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rosalene. 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
174
~ 1 in 1,969,853 Americans
Peak year
1938
25 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,152
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Rosalene: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rosalene from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 144 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1930s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rosalene 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 Rosalene during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rosalene
The name Rosalene is a feminine given name with roots in several languages and cultures. It is a combination of the Latin name Rosa, meaning "rose," and the Greek suffix -lene, meaning "light" or "bright." The name thus signifies a bright or radiant rose.
This name gained popularity during the Middle Ages in parts of Europe, particularly in regions influenced by both Latin and Greek cultures. It was often bestowed upon girls born in the spring or summer months, when roses were in full bloom.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Rosalene can be found in a 12th-century French manuscript, where it was mentioned as the name of a noble lady. In the 14th century, a Rosalene was mentioned in an Italian Renaissance poem, further solidifying the name's presence in European literature.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Rosalene. In the 16th century, Rosalene de Foix (1497-1549) was a French noblewoman and the mistress of King Francis I of France. During the 17th century, Rosalene Calvert (1615-1672) was a prominent English landowner and the wife of Leonard Calvert, the first colonial governor of Maryland.
In the 19th century, Rosalene Bacchus (1824-1891) was a renowned British author and poet who wrote extensively on social and political issues. Around the same time, Rosalene Carlston (1837-1912) was a Swedish opera singer and one of the first women to perform leading roles at the Royal Swedish Opera.
In the 20th century, Rosalene Sedgwick (1910-1992) was an American actress and model who appeared in several films and television shows throughout her career.
While the name Rosalene has waxed and waned in popularity over the centuries, its roots in Latin and Greek cultures, as well as its association with the beauty and radiance of the rose, have given it a timeless quality that continues to appeal to parents seeking a unique and meaningful name for their daughters.
People
Rosalene + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rosalene as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rosalene: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rosalene?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 174 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rosalene 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 1,969,853 US residents.
Is Rosalene a common name?
We classify Rosalene as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 498 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rosalene most popular?
The single biggest year for Rosalene was 1938, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rosalene is about 50 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rosalene a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rosalene 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.
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.