NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Selina

Feminine form of the Latin name Selene, meaning "moon".

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.

Selina is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Selina popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #696, with 54 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 158 births.

This profile covers 1,882 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, 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 34% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 2,112 living people in the UK are called Selina. 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

  • Selina ranked #696 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 54 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1996, when 158 girls were registered as Selina.
  • Selina ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #358 in 1997.
  • About 2,112 living people in the UK are estimated to have Selina as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#696

2024

Births in 2024

54

Latest year

Peak year

1996

158 births

Estimated living

2,112

2026

Meaning

What does Selina mean?

The name Selina has its origins in the ancient Greek language, derived from the word "selene," which means "moon." It is a feminine form of the name Selenus, which was a name given to the moon goddess in Greek mythology.

In ancient times, the name Selina was used in various regions of Greece and the surrounding areas influenced by Greek culture. It was a popular name among the Greeks, who revered the moon and its symbolism of femininity, fertility, and the cycles of nature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Selina can be found in the writings of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century BC. He mentioned a woman named Selina in his work "The Histories," suggesting that the name was in use during that time period.

Throughout history, there have been several notable women who bore the name Selina. One of the earliest was Selina, Countess of Huntingdon (1707-1791), an English noblewoman and notable leader of the Evangelical Revival movement in the 18th century.

Another prominent figure was Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon (1707-1791), a wealthy English philanthropist and supporter of the Methodist movement. She founded several chapels and played a significant role in the religious landscape of 18th-century England.

In the literary world, Selina Trimmer (1741-1786) was an English writer and editor who authored several educational books for children, including "The Guardian of Education" and "The Family Magazine."

The name Selina also gained prominence in the arts, with Selina Dolaro (1915-1997), an Italian actress and singer who appeared in numerous films and stage productions in the mid-20th century.

In more recent times, Selina Kyle, also known as Catwoman, is a famous fictional character from the Batman comics and movies, adding a modern twist to the name's association with feline grace and mystery.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Selina over time

The chart below shows babies named Selina registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 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 Selina, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 54 births in 2024, compared with 158 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Selina
04079119158199620102024

Decades

Selina by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Selina 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 #738 255 5
2010s #742 531 10
2000s #535 632 10
1990s #316 464 4

Geography

Where Selina is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Selina. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Selina ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #358 in 1997.

Northern Ireland
3
Scotland
3

Across the UK

Selina in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#798 in 2016

35 years of NRS records, 242 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#358 in 1997

1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Selina

  • Selina Lo

    actor; kickboxer; film actor

    British actress

    1991-

  • Selina Chilton

    actor

    English actress

    1981-

  • Selina Todd

    historian; university teacher

    British historian

    1975-

  • Selina Giles

    screenwriter; actor; film actor

    British actor

    1972-

  • Selina Griffiths

    actor; television actor; film actor

    English actress

    1969-

  • Selina Scott

    writer; television producer; news presenter; television presenter; journalist

    English newsreader, journalist, television producer and presenter

    1951-

  • Selina Hastings

    writer; biographer; journalist; literary historian

    British journalist, author and biographer

    1945-

  • Selina Martin

    suffragist

    British suffragist

    1882-1972

Related

Names similar to Selina

FAQ

Selina: questions and answers

How popular is the name Selina in the UK right now?

In 2024, Selina was ranked #696 for girls in England and Wales, with 54 births registered.

When was Selina most popular?

The peak year on record was 1996, with 158 babies registered as Selina in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Selina?

Feminine form of the Latin name Selene, meaning "moon".

How many people are called Selina in the UK?

A total of 1,882 babies have been registered as Selina across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 242 more in Scotland and 3 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Selina most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Selina ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #358 in 1997. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

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.