Xelena
A feminine name of uncertain origin, perhaps inspired by the name Helena.
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Xelena. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Xelena today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Xelena births was 2022 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Xelena. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Xelena. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
2022
5 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2023 SSA rank
#17,475
Tracked since 2022
Popularity
Xelena: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Xelena 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 Xelena during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 0 | 10 | 10 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Xelena
The name Xelena is a relatively obscure one, with its origins shrouded in mystery. It is believed to have emerged from an ancient Etruscan dialect spoken in what is now central Italy, sometime around the 6th century BCE. The name may have been derived from the Etruscan word "xeln," which roughly translates to "moon" or "celestial body."
In the annals of Etruscan history, there are mentions of a priestess named Xelena who served in the temple of the moon goddess Losna in the city-state of Velathri. This priestess is said to have been highly revered for her wisdom and her ability to interpret celestial omens. However, the historical records from this era are fragmentary and shrouded in myth, making it difficult to separate fact from legend.
The name appears to have fallen out of use for several centuries after the decline of the Etruscan civilization. It wasn't until the Renaissance period that the name resurfaced, albeit in a slightly modified form. In 1487, a famous Florentine scholar and philosopher named Xelena Strozzi was born. She was renowned for her intellect and her contributions to the study of Platonic philosophy.
A century later, in 1598, a Venetian noblewoman named Xelena Contarini gained notoriety for her involvement in a scandalous love affair with a young artist. Their illicit romance was the subject of numerous poems and plays during that era.
In the realm of literature, the name Xelena appears in a minor character in Dante Alighieri's epic poem "The Divine Comedy," written in the early 14th century. This character is described as a virtuous and chaste woman who dwells in the celestial spheres of Paradise.
Another notable figure named Xelena was Xelena Lucrezia Cornaro, a 16th-century Venetian artist and poet. Her works were celebrated for their vivid imagery and their exploration of themes such as love, nature, and the human condition.
While the name Xelena has never been particularly common, it has left its mark on history through the lives of these remarkable individuals. Each of them, in their own way, contributed to the cultural and intellectual fabric of their respective eras, ensuring that this enigmatic name would endure through the ages.
People
Xelena + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Xelena as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with X
Other first names starting with X with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Xelena: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Xelena?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Xelena 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Xelena a common name?
We classify Xelena as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Xelena most popular?
The single biggest year for Xelena was 2022, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Xelena is about 4 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 Xelena in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Xelena a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Xelena 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 Xelena still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Xelena 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 Xelena 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 called Xelena?
You can see how many people share the name Xelena on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.