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Jelena

♀ Girl

Pronounced yeh-LEH-nah /jɛˈlɛ.nɑ/Medium

Meaning: Slavic form of Helen — Greek, 'light, torch; bright'High

In 30 seconds: Light, in soft Slavic: Jelena is the Serbian and Croatian Helen — 'torch, bright'. Elegant, melodic, and luminous.

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Origin HighGreek, Slavic

MeaningSlavic form of Helen — Greek, 'light, torch; bright'

U.S. rank (2025)#5030 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births26 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2017

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,633

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Jelena is a Slavic form of Helen — from Greek, 'light, torch; bright'. A graceful, melodic name across Serbia, Croatia, and Russia, it carries the radiance of its ancient root.

In the U.S. it appears in Slavic families. Rare, light at the root, and luminous.

Did you know? Jelena is the Slavic form of Helen, from Greek for 'light, torch' — borne by tennis stars and queens across the Balkans; graceful and luminous.

Overall data confidence 85%

Behind the Name — Jelena — etymology

Variations

HelenaElenaYelena

Nicknames

LenaJela

Famous Bearers

★Jelena Dokic (1983-)
Australian professional tennis player who reached World No. 4 in 2002
★Jelena Jankovic (1985-)
Serbian tennis player who reached World No. 1 and was 2008 US Open runner-up
★Jelena Ostapenko (1997-)
Latvian tennis player and 2017 French Open champion
★Jelena Ristic (1986-)
Serbian model and wife of tennis star Novak Djokovic

If you like Jelena…

Helena— the Greek/English form

Elena— a fellow soft form

Yelena— the Russian form

Milena— a companion Slavic name

Explore names like Jelena

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Jelena mean?

Jelena is the Slavic Helen, Greek for 'light, torch'.

How do you pronounce Jelena?

It's said yeh-LEH-nah /jɛˈlɛ.nɑ/ — three syllables, stress on the second.

Is Jelena a boy or girl name?

Jelena is a girl's name.

How popular is Jelena?

Jelena is a rare name in the U.S.