Origin: Slavic Милена
Meaning: “dear; gracious.”
The name is derived from the Slavonic element mil meaning “gracious; dear.”
The name is used in virtually every Slavic speaking country, and is currently the most popular female name in Armenia. It is also used in Brazil, Spanish-speaking countries, German-speaking countries, Italy and Hungary.
The name was introduced into Italy when King Emmanuel III of Italy married Milena Vukotić (1847-1923).
Her rankings in other countries are as follows:
- # 2 (Romansch-speaking Switzerland, 2010)
- # 25 (Poland, 2010)
- # 32 (Poland, Warsaw, 2010)
- # 50 (Brazil, 2010)
- # 54 (Argentina, 2009)
- # 73 (Germany, 2011)
- # 353 (Netherlands, 2010)
The Bulgarian masculine form is Milen Милен.
Other forms of the name include:
- Miléna (Hungarian)
- Milica (Croatian/Serbian)
- Mileva (Serbian)
- Mylyca (Ukrainian)