Selina is a Latinate name most likely derived from Selene — the Greek goddess of the moon, from selene (moon). With about 19,045 SSA records and a 1995 peak, Selina occupies an interesting space: it is a name with genuine classical mythology behind it, carried by a mid-century German-born political figure and a DC Comics supervillain, and used across multiple European naming traditions with slightly different spellings.
The Moon Connection
Selene was the Titan goddess who drove the moon chariot across the night sky — distinct from Artemis, who was goddess of the hunt and associated with the moon's light. Selina, like the variant Selena, derives from this ancient Greek root. Moon names for girls have been fashionable across multiple eras: Luna is currently at peak popularity, Selene is rising, and Selina sits at the classical end of the same family. Greek moon-root names — Selene, Selina, Selena, Luna, give parents multiple entry points into the same luminous meaning.
Selina Kyle: The Catwoman Connection
In DC Comics, Selina Kyle is Catwoman, one of the most complex and enduring figures in superhero fiction. She has been portrayed on screen by Julie Newmar, Michelle Pfeiffer, Halle Berry, Anne Hathaway, and Zoë Kravitz. That character association is largely positive: Catwoman is clever, independent, and morally complex in ways that make the pop-culture imprint feel more interesting than problematic. Compare Selina and Selena, Selena has the additional cultural weight of the late Tejano singer, while Selina is slightly rarer and carries the Comics connection instead.
The Counter-Reading: The Mid-Nineties Timestamp
A 1995 peak means Selina is currently carried primarily by women in their late twenties. The name has a light early-internet-era feel, slightly before the mass of 2000s names, slightly after the 1980s wave. 1990s names are in an awkward spot for revival right now: too recent for full nostalgia, old enough to feel slightly dated. Selina's classical mythology and comic book credentials give it more durability than many names of the same era.