Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Alena

Alena is a German and Slavic name generally considered the short form of Magdalena or Helena. It’s a super popular name among Slavs in the Ukraine, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Belarus. It is also used with some moderation in Germany. When the name is used as a pet form of Helena then it would be tied to the etymology meaning “ray of light (sunbeam)”. However, if Alena is being used in connection to Magdalena, then it would mean “of Magdala” (in reference to Mary Magdalene, Jesus’ beloved disciple). Please see the name pages Helena and Magdalena for more detail. Alenka is the darling diminutive of this Slavic beauty.

All About the Baby Name – Alena

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME ALENA

Romance is the hallmark of the Six personality. They exude nurturing, loving, and caring energy. Sixes are in love with the idea of love in its idealized form - and with their magnetic personalities, they easily draw people toward them. Like the number Two personality, they seek balance and harmony in their life and the world at large. They are conscientious and service-oriented, and a champion for the underdog. These personalities naturally attract money and are usually surrounded by lovely material objects - but their human relationships are always primary. They thrive in giving back to others rather than being motivated by their own desires. This is when they achieve great things. Sixes are natural teachers, ministers and counselors.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME ALENA

Alena appeared on the Top 1000 list of girl names once in the late 1800s and then again a couple times in the 1980s, but for all intents and purposes, this is a name that didn’t stick to the U.S. charts until 1993. The name showed favorable gains in usage within the first 10 years but has since reversed its course. Never achieving anything beyond low to mild levels of usage, Alena remains an original choice today. Like Mila, Alena is a lovely name choice for parents who want to tip their hats to their Slavic heritage. It’s simple, pretty and unpretentious. It’s also bright and cheerful – like a shining ray of light. The only unfortunate reality is that it may get lost in the noise of similar sounding names: Alana, Alaina, Alani, Alina, Aleena, Elena, etc.

Quick Facts

ON ALENA

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

German

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

729

PRONUNCIATION:

ah-LEH-na; ah-LEE-na

SIMPLE MEANING:

Ray of light (Helen); or Of Magdala (Magdalena)

Characteristics

OF ALENA

Humanitarian

Community-minded

Family-oriented

Loving

Affectionate

Compassionate

Sensitive

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Alena

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME ALENA

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Alena

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME ALENA

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Alena


Popular Songs

ON ALENA

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Alena


Famous People

NAMED ALENA

Alena Leonova (Russian figure skater)
Alena Popchanka (Olympic swimmer from Belarus)
Alena Neumiarzhitskaya (Olympic sprinter from Belarus)
Alena Vrzáňová (Czech figure skater)
Alena Šeredová (Czech model)

Children of Famous People

NAMED ALENA

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Alena

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME ALENA

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Alena