Serena Girl

Popularity: #306 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: suh-REE-nuh //səˈriː.nə//

Origin: Latin; Italian

Meaning: Latin: serene; Italian: calm

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Serena has its roots in the Latin word "serenus," which means "calm," "peaceful," or "serene." This term can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root *ser-, which conveys the idea of stillness or tranquility. The name entered the English language through various linguistic transitions, including its adoption from Latin into Old French before being incorporated into Middle English.

The earliest recorded use of Serena as a personal name in English dates back to the 17th century, although it was not widely used until later. Historically, the name Serena has been associated with several notable figures.

One of the earliest references can be found in Christian hagiography, where Saint Serena, a martyr of the early Christian church, is mentioned. Her story, though not extensively documented, contributed to the name's association with virtue and piety.

Additionally, the name appears in various literary works, including Shakespeare's plays, where it is sometimes used to evoke themes of beauty and tranquility, aligning with its etymological roots. Culturally, the name Serena has been embraced in various traditions, often symbolizing peace and harmony.

Its serene connotation has made it a favored choice in literature and the arts, where characters named Serena often embody grace and composure. The name has also seen variations and diminutives in different cultures, such as Serina or Sere, which maintain the essence of the original while adapting to local linguistic patterns.

Overall, Serena's enduring appeal can be attributed to its rich etymological background and the positive attributes associated with its meaning.

Famous people named Serena

In this section, you will find notable people named Serena. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Serena who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Serena who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Serena Williams is a professional tennis player best known for winning 23 Grand Slam singles titles, her powerful playing style, and her influence on the sport.

Serena Gomez is a singer and actress best known for her roles in Wizards of Waverly Place, Spring Breakers, and her music career including hits like Come & Get It.

Fictional characters named Serena

The following list of fictional characters named Serena is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Serena is a fictional character from the anime and manga series Pokémon. She is a Pokémon Trainer and a key companion of Ash Ketchum during the Kalos region arc.

Serena is a fictional character from the animated series Sailor Moon. She is the main protagonist, known as Sailor Moon, who fights for love and justice against evil forces.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Serena, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

SelenaSabrinaSophiaSierraSamanthaSavannah

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Serena. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

SereneSeleneSiennaSabrinaSoleilSarinaSierraSolea

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Serena was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Serena has ranked as high as #436 nationally, which occurred in 2000, and has been most popular in California, New York, Texas, Florida, and Pennsylvania.

In the past 5 years the name Serena has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Serena is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Serena was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Serena.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 942 0 942
2024 942 0 942
2023 821 0 821
2022 814 0 814
2021 810 0 810
2020 725 0 725
2019 748 0 748
2018 780 0 780
2017 768 0 768
2016 720 0 720
2015 782 0 782
2014 704 0 704
2013 744 0 744
2012 716 0 716
2011 682 0 682
2010 687 0 687
2009 813 0 813
2008 882 0 882
2007 814 0 814
2006 810 0 810
2005 869 0 869
2004 1,063 0 1,063
2003 1,277 0 1,277
2002 1,306 0 1,306
2001 1,296 0 1,296
2000 1,504 0 1,504
1999 1,440 0 1,440
1998 1,401 0 1,401
1997 1,206 0 1,206
1996 925 0 925
1995 831 0 831
1994 620 0 620
1993 546 0 546
1992 500 0 500
1991 498 0 498
1990 477 0 477
1989 454 6 448
1988 416 0 416
1987 448 0 448
1986 453 0 453
1985 571 5 566
1984 577 0 577
1983 596 0 596
1982 594 0 594
1981 535 0 535
1980 630 0 630
1979 502 0 502
1978 471 0 471
1977 507 0 507
1976 453 0 453
1975 444 0 444
1974 387 0 387
1973 404 0 404
1972 450 0 450
1971 587 0 587
1970 644 5 639
1969 676 0 676
1968 441 0 441
1967 261 0 261
1966 200 0 200
1965 181 0 181
1964 203 0 203
1963 180 0 180
1962 169 0 169
1961 142 0 142
1960 115 0 115
1959 163 0 163
1958 151 0 151
1957 116 0 116
1956 98 0 98
1955 125 0 125
1954 85 0 85
1953 79 0 79
1952 84 0 84
1951 84 0 84
1950 70 0 70
1949 68 0 68
1948 66 0 66
1947 66 0 66
1946 70 0 70
1945 59 0 59
1944 67 0 67
1943 47 0 47
1942 59 0 59
1941 37 0 37
1940 56 0 56
1939 49 0 49
1938 59 0 59
1937 36 0 36
1936 28 0 28
1935 33 0 33
1934 28 0 28
1933 34 0 34
1932 27 0 27
1931 33 0 33
1930 27 0 27
1929 28 0 28
1928 47 0 47
1927 41 0 41
1926 30 0 30
1925 50 0 50
1924 35 0 35
1923 37 0 37
1922 41 0 41
1921 46 0 46
1920 51 0 51
1919 35 0 35
1918 48 0 48
1917 57 0 57
1916 43 0 43
1915 38 0 38
1914 35 0 35
1913 24 0 24
1912 31 0 31
1911 17 0 17
1910 31 0 31
1909 24 0 24
1908 25 0 25
1907 22 0 22
1906 21 0 21
1905 20 0 20
1904 14 0 14
1903 17 0 17
1902 26 0 26
1901 18 0 18
1900 31 0 31
1899 17 0 17
1898 23 0 23
1897 22 0 22
1896 28 0 28
1895 18 0 18
1894 13 0 13
1893 13 0 13
1892 20 0 20
1891 15 0 15
1890 15 0 15
1889 24 0 24
1888 14 0 14
1887 16 0 16
1886 15 0 15
1885 13 0 13
1884 9 0 9
1883 10 0 10
1882 14 0 14
1881 13 0 13
1880 13 0 13

Top States for Serena (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 142
16%
TX 107
12%
NY 71
8%
FL 69
8%
NJ 48
5%
MA 38
4%
IL 34
4%
PA 34
4%
MI 28
3%
NC 23
3%
OH 23
3%
VA 22
2%
WA 22
2%
CT 20
2%
TN 19
2%
GA 18
2%
MO 17
2%
IN 16
2%
AZ 13
1%
CO 13
1%
MD 13
1%
OR 12
1%
WI 11
1%
NV 11
1%
OK 11
1%
MN 10
1%
KY 8
1%
UT 8
1%
IA 7
1%
AL 6
1%
SC 6
1%
MT 5
1%
ND 5
1%
DE 5
1%