Selene

Selene - A very unique female name

Selene appeared on the charts for the first time in 1958 on position #2130. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Selene and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Selene? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Selene. The baby girl name Selene was given to 421 baby girls in 2025, ranking #632 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 3,096 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Selene peaked in popularity 1 years ago in 2025 on position 632.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Selene, 1-5?

Selene is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Selene is currently topping the baby name charts in California at position #324 - and is the least popular in Georgia at position #1,748.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Selene is where you live.

---

Comment and discuss

---

Selene origin and meaning

Ancient Greek

'Moon' — Greek selene, the moon; the name of the moon goddess

Selene was the Titan goddess who drove the moon across the sky, and her name is simply the Greek word for the moon. Barely used for most of the 20th century, it has risen steadily in the celestial-name era and reached its highest use yet in 2025.

Attested etymology

Selene is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Selene, pop culture references for the name Selene and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Selene

We've found the following names that sound similar to Selene, sorted by popularity.

Selena / Sloane / Selma / Selina / Salma / Sloan / Salem / Salina / Salome / Solana /

---

Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Selene

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Selene a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Selene?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

---

Pronunciation

seh-LEE-nee · /sɛˈliːni/
English speakers split between seh-LEE-nee, three syllables, and seh-LEEN, two.

Around the world

• Selena (Latin and Spanish) — The Latinised form of the same goddess's name.
• Séléné (French) — The French form of the same name.

Spellings and nicknames

• Selena — The Latinised form, a separate established and much more common name.
• Selina — A related form of the same name.

Famous bearers

• Selene — Titan goddess of the moon in Greek myth (Mythological) Fictional

Style

Mythological

Why parents choose it

Parents pick Selene for its lunar glow — mythological and elegant, but far less used than Luna.

Worth knowing

• Most people know the sound from Selena and will spell and say it that way; the goddess's own pronunciation is not settled in English.