UK girl's name
Asena
A female name of Turkish origin meaning "strong and courageous like a wolf".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Asena is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Asena popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4843, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2020, with 6 births.
This profile covers 55 England and Wales registrations across 15 recorded years from 1998 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 67% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 55 living people in the UK are called Asena. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Asena ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2020, when 6 girls were registered as Asena.
- • About 55 living people in the UK are estimated to have Asena as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4843
2024
Births in 2024
4
Latest year
Peak year
2020
6 births
Estimated living
55
2026
Meaning
What does Asena mean?
The name Asena has its origins in Turkic mythology and is believed to have been derived from the ancient Turkic word "asena," which translates to "she-wolf" or "mother-wolf." This name holds deep significance in the cultural folklore and legends of various Turkic peoples, particularly those of Central Asia.
According to the epic Turkic tales, Asena was a legendary she-wolf that guided and nurtured the ancestors of the Turkic tribes. The story goes that a young boy named Ashina was found abandoned in the wilderness and was lovingly raised by a she-wolf named Asena. This mythical event is seen as a powerful symbol of resilience, strength, and the close connection between the Turkic people and nature.
The name Asena first appeared in ancient Turkic inscriptions and historical records dating back to the 6th and 7th centuries CE, during the rise of the Göktürk Khaganate, one of the earliest Turkic empires. These inscriptions, carved on stone stelae, often depicted wolf imagery and referenced the legendary Asena, solidifying her place in Turkic mythology.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Asena. One of the earliest recorded bearers was Asena Yesugei (c. 1162-1235), the mother of the legendary Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan. Another prominent figure was Asena Fatma Sultan (1568-1619), a Ottoman princess and the daughter of Sultan Murad III.
In more recent times, Asena has been a popular name among Turkic communities, particularly in Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Notable bearers of the name include Asena Gurmenzina (1918-2008), a celebrated Kazakh writer and poet, and Asena Cevahi (1910-1986), a Turkish author and translator.
Asena has also been the name of several historical figures in the Seljuk Empire, which ruled over parts of the Middle East and Central Asia from the 11th to the 14th centuries. One such figure was Asena Hatun (c. 1172-1240), the wife of the Seljuk Sultan Kaykhusraw I.
The name Asena continues to be a popular choice among Turkic communities, carrying with it the rich cultural heritage and mythological significance of the legendary she-wolf that nurtured and protected the ancestors of the Turkic peoples.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Asena over time
The chart below shows babies named Asena registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1998 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Asena, the clearest high point is 2020. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 6 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Asena by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Asena was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #5045 | 19 | 5 |
| 2010s | #5276 | 14 | 4 |
| 2000s | #4127 | 15 | 4 |
| 1990s | #3537 | 7 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Asena
- Amelia 94,830
- Ava 54,556
- Amy 52,495
- Alice 46,815
- Abigail 45,658
- Amber 31,922
- Anna 27,802
- Alexandra 19,455
- Amelie 18,051
- Abbie 15,971
- Aimee 15,158
- Annabelle 15,120
FAQ
Asena: questions and answers
How popular is the name Asena in the UK right now?
In 2024, Asena was ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Asena most popular?
The peak year on record was 2020, with 6 babies registered as Asena in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Asena?
A female name of Turkish origin meaning "strong and courageous like a wolf".
How many people are called Asena in the UK?
A total of 55 babies have been registered as Asena across the 15 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.