Malena
A girl's name of Scandinavian origin with 3,977 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
a female given name
Malena is a girl's baby name of Scandinavian and Spanish origin, a short form of Magdalena, meaning 'woman from Magdala.' The Swedish film Maléna (2000), starring Monica Bellucci, gave this name an international cinematic mystique, and it carries a warm, romantic elegance across both Northern and Southern European cultures.
EtymologyShow more
The ending of a name often carries more etymological information than the beginning. Malena's final sounds are open, warm — a soft ending that crosses many language boundaries. In English-language naming, many feminine names end on open vowels or soft consonants, creating a melodic, approachable quality. Malena follows that feminine pattern.
Explore the ending-based name pages on this site to find names that share Malena's suffix pattern — names with similar endings often share a style and era, even when they come from different linguistic backgrounds.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Malena was #1423 twenty years ago and has since drifted to #2469, but its charm endures.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 355 | #2521 | ▼ |
| 2010s | 976 | #2028 | ▼ |
| 2000s | 1,234 | #1652 | ▲ |
| 1990s | 483 | #2768 | ▲ |
| 1980s | 288 | #3297 | ▼ |
| 1970s | 462 | #2045 | ▲ |
| 1960s | 111 | #4662 | ▲ |
| 1950s | 45 | #5033 | ▲ |
| 1930s | 11 | #4482 | ▲ |
| 1920s | 6 | #4825 | — |
| 1880s | 6 | #1056 | — |
The Story of Malena
A Gen Z name
Peaking in 2004, Malena is a name that defines a generation. Girls named Malena are most likely born between 1994 and 2014.
How rare is Malena?
Only about 1 in every 49,315 babies born in 2024 was named Malena — a truly uncommon choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1886, gained momentum through the mid-century, peaked in the 2000s with 1,234 births that decade, and has gracefully settled into a quieter chapter.
Malena by the numbers
- Would fill 83 school buses
- Meeting one Malena per day would take 10.9 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(75 years, 1886–2024)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 73 | #2469 |
| 2023 | 70 | #2544 |
| 2022 | 78 | #2378 |
| 2021 | 75 | #2406 |
| 2020 | 59 | #2807 |
| 2019 | 88 | #2137 |
| 2018 | 81 | #2264 |
| 2017 | 89 | #2154 |
| 2016 | 82 | #2316 |
| 2015 | 100 | #1992 |
| 2014 | 110 | #1848 |
| 2013 | 95 | #2045 |
| 2012 | 98 | #1993 |
| 2011 | 115 | #1777 |
| 2010 | 118 | #1756 |
| 2009 | 123 | #1773 |
| 2008 | 122 | #1797 |
| 2007 | 138 | #1618 |
| 2006 | 130 | #1636 |
| 2005 | 117 | #1700 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Malena a boy's or girl's name?
When was Malena most popular?
How popular is the name Malena?
Explore More
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1886–2024