Yeleina
A feminine name of uncertain origin and meaning, possibly derived from the Greek word "helios" meaning "sun".
Name Census estimates that about 15 living Americans carry the first name Yeleina. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Yeleina today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yeleina births was 2003 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yeleina. 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 Yeleina. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
15
~ 1 in 22,850,289 Americans
Peak year
2003
5 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2008 SSA rank
#20,382
Tracked since 2003
Popularity
Yeleina: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Yeleina 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 Yeleina during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0 | 15 | 15 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Yeleina
The name Yeleina appears to have its origins in the ancient Aramaic language, which was spoken in the Middle East during the first millennium BC. It is derived from the Aramaic word "yelena," which means "bright" or "shining." This suggests that the name may have been originally given to children born during the day or with a particularly radiant and vibrant appearance.
Yeleina can be traced back to the region of ancient Mesopotamia, which encompassed parts of modern-day Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey. It is possible that the name was in use among the Aramaic-speaking peoples who inhabited this area, such as the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Phoenicians.
While there are no known references to the name Yeleina in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is likely that it was used as a personal name during the height of the Aramaic civilization. The earliest recorded examples of the name are found in some ancient Aramaic inscriptions and cuneiform tablets dating back to around the 6th century BC.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Yeleina was a Phoenician trader who lived in the city of Tyre (modern-day Lebanon) in the 5th century BC. Unfortunately, not much is known about her life or accomplishments.
Another notable figure was Yeleina of Sidon, a Phoenician princess who lived in the 3rd century BC. She was known for her beauty and was said to have been courted by many suitors from across the ancient Mediterranean world.
In the 2nd century AD, there was a Greek philosopher named Yeleina of Alexandria, who wrote several treatises on ethics and the nature of the soul. Her works, although now lost, were highly influential in the philosophical circles of her time.
During the Byzantine era, a woman named Yeleina of Constantinople (c. 500 AD) gained fame as a skilled mosaic artist. She was commissioned to create several intricate mosaics for the Hagia Sophia and other churches in the city.
Finally, in the 11th century, there was a Persian poetess named Yeleina of Nishapur, who wrote beautiful verses celebrating love and nature. Her poetry was widely admired in the literary circles of the time and has been preserved in several ancient manuscripts.
While the name Yeleina may have fallen out of common usage in more recent times, its ancient roots and rich history serve as a testament to the enduring legacy of the Aramaic language and culture.
People
Yeleina + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yeleina as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Y
Other first names starting with Y with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Yeleina: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yeleina?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 15 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yeleina 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 22,850,289 US residents.
Is Yeleina a common name?
We classify Yeleina as "Very Rare". It ranks above 35.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yeleina most popular?
The single biggest year for Yeleina was 2003, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yeleina is about 20 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 Yeleina in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Yeleina a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yeleina 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 Yeleina still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Yeleina 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 Yeleina 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 Yeleina?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Yeleina at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.