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Alena

Girl name · 12 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Alena: 12 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 3 births in 2001.

Alena is a variant of Helen, ultimately from the Greek *Helene*, meaning ‘torch’ or ‘light’, though it also appears as a Slavic diminutive of Yelena. One notable historical bearer is Saint Alena, a 4th-century Christian martyr from Brussels, while more recently the name has been carried by Czech supermodel Alena Šeredová. The underlying root connects to Helen of Troy and, through her, to places such as St Helena in the South Atlantic, as well as the many cities named Helena across the globe. In Scotland, Alena has become a fresh, international alternative to the classic Eilidh or Helen, reflecting a broader modern taste for light, vowel-rich names with deep European roots.