MEANING & HISTORY
What does Selena mean?
Selena is well explained as a Latinized form of Greek Selene, whose name means moon and belongs to the moon goddess of Greek mythology. The Tagalog entry documents a route through English.
Some dictionary discussions connect the similar form Selina with a separate proposed Latin heavenly-name history, so those accounts should not be silently merged. For Selena, the Selene connection gives a clear and specific lunar meaning. Selena, Selene and Selina are useful related forms to compare, with attention to language and exact spelling.
The mythological association does not imply a modern bearer’s beliefs.
References for this explanation
Pronunciation & syllables
Dictionary readings are kept by language. Select the reading that matches your intended pronunciation. Dots show the source’s written divisions; they are not a universal syllable count across languages.
Tagalog
- /seˈlina/Standard-Tagalog
- [sɛˈliː.n̪ɐ]Standard-Tagalog
Se · le · na3 source divisions
Dictionary reading & contributors ↗Wiktionary contributors / Kaikki / Wiktextract · CC BY-SA 4.0
Origin and name formation
Language-specific accounts from the dictionary. A shared spelling can have more than one history.
TagalogEtymology & source
Borrowed from English Selena.
a female given name from English
Wiktionary: Selena (Tagalog) ↗ · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
EnglishEtymology & source
Either a variant of Selina, from Latin Caelīna (“heavenly”, from caelum (“sky, heaven”)), or from Selene, the Ancient Greek goddess of the moon.
A female given name from Ancient Greek.
Wiktionary: Selena (English) ↗ · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
SpanishEtymology & source
a female given name
Wiktionary: Selena (Spanish) ↗ · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
EnglishEtymology & source
First recorded in England in the 17th century, possibly from Latin Caelīna (“heavenly”), or a variant of Selene, the Ancient Greek goddess of the moon.
A female given name from Latin.
Wiktionary: Selena (English) ↗ · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
EnglishEtymology & source
From the Ancient Greek Σελήνη (Selḗnē, proper noun), from σέλας (sélas, “light”).
A female given name from Ancient Greek.
Wiktionary: Selena (English) ↗ · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Adapted from Wiktionary contributors via Kaikki/Wiktextract. Source accounts remain in their original English; editorial summaries and filters are adapted. Attribution and downloads
PSA · OFFICIAL BIRTH RECORDS
Selena in the birth records
Exact spelling and stated year in the published name tables. Read the counts as individual snapshots.
Tables included: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The 2016 fact sheet lists five names per sex; the later tables include ten. Missing counts are not inferred. Sex categories follow the official tables, independently of dictionary gender labels. Explore the official tables →
Similar names to Selena
Names with a similar opening or ending, ordered by spelling distance. Similar spelling does not imply the same meaning or origin.
Names in this collection
- Elena♀Form of Helen
- Helena♀Latin form of Greek Helene
- Serena♀Clear, tranquil, or serene
- Lena♀Short form of Helena or Magdalena
- Selma♀European name with several routes; Turkish form of Salma
- Sheena♀English rendering of Gaelic Sìne, in the Jane family
- Athena♀Name of the Greek goddess associated with Athens
- Lorena·Form of Lorraine; also linked with Lauren
What rhymes with Selena?
Matches share a dictionary-supplied rhyme key in the stated language. Check the recorded reading; another language or accent can change the rhyme.
Explore Selena further
Follow the sources
- Wiktionary contributors — Selena (Tagalog) (opens in a new tab)
Explicit given-name sense and separately attributed etymology; no birth-frequency claim.
- Wiktionary contributors — Selena (English) (opens in a new tab)
Language-specific given-name etymology; shared spelling does not prove every bearer has this origin.
- Wiktionary contributors — Selena (Spanish) (opens in a new tab)
Language-specific given-name etymology; shared spelling does not prove every bearer has this origin.
- Wiktionary contributors — Selena (English) (opens in a new tab)
Language-specific given-name etymology; shared spelling does not prove every bearer has this origin.
- Wiktionary contributors — Selena (English) (opens in a new tab)
Language-specific given-name etymology; shared spelling does not prove every bearer has this origin.
- Behind the Name — selena (opens in a new tab)
Latinized Selene form. Consulted editorial entry, not user-submitted content.
- Behind the Name — selene (opens in a new tab)
Greek moon meaning, citing Liddell–Scott lexicon. Consulted editorial entry, not user-submitted content.