Lena

This is my sister’s name, and I think it’s really pretty. We pronounce it ‘Lee-Nuh’ and it’s kind of annoying whenever someone pronounces it ‘Lin-uh’. Overall, probably a 9/10.

I’m in England, but I pronounce it Leh-na. I like the long forms Helena and Magdalena, but prefer it by itself - it sounds like a smart, creative, beautiful girl! I love L names, and this one sounds so wonderful rolled off the tongue, working in many different languages. A beautiful name!

I think this name is beautiful and fortunately not overused.

I prefer Lana.

I think Lena is a pretty and nice name. The correct pronunciation is "Lay nah".

I actually much prefer it pronounced “Len-uh” like the way the Greek guy does in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

I love this as a full name! Sounds so sweet and elegant!

I like this name! Lena is a really simple name, easy to spell in different languages, so why not? Simple elegance! It feels a lot better than Elena or Lene. Lena is good!

It's perfect.

I personally do not like this name. For me it is boring, and any one who has it has no personality. Same with the name Leah. It's so plain, and has no elegance or grace at all. In my opinion, Liana, Leana, Leanna, or Layla is so much better. It's timeless, classy, and all around elegant. You can imagine a baby or an adult with it. And I promise- I've honestly never met anyone with these names. I think they are just beautiful names. Lena is a plain and boring name with no unique factors.

No. Even though I know a girl named Lena and she is a really cool person, I just dislike this name. Probably is just the Polish pronunciation which I found terrible.

I actually love the pronunciation "LEE-nuh"; I think this name is sexy and beautiful, has lots of potential to be the name of someone intelligent, pretty, or intelligent AND pretty.

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I named a character in one of my stories using this pronunciation of Lena, and have seen its meaning varied across the board. Could mean "temptress" which is the meaning I chose for her as she is an exotic dancer at the beginning of the story only to pay for college where she studied Greek ethics though finds her Baccalaureate useless. She later decides she'll go back to get her Master's (after her new boyfriend encourages her when she confides that she thinks it's a little too late, to which he says "It's never too late, Lena.") and write self-help books using her Greek ethics background to achieve it.

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It's a great name for a girl who wants everything and nothing at once, and values inner beauty above outer, though she may possess both.

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I feel the spelling "Leena" is aesthetically-awkward due to the double-E portion. However, others may differ in their opinion.

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Personally, I wish I had this name "Lena" in the "LEE-nuh" pronunciation as, like I said, it's a sexy name, and it sounds nicer than "Holly" (my name) if you're whispering this name to a lover.

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Timeless and beautiful, the name Lena (no matter how you pronounce it) is something people will remember; even if they spell/pronounce it incorrectly, and not how your parents intended to say it, it's still got beautiful, strong, determined, ageless, and intelligent connotations.

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No matter the "official" meaning, or pronunciation, any way you say it and spell it is not wrong if it is YOUR name.

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/end of Graduate Thesis on Names and their Etymological Root Meanings... (insert sarcasm)

My granny was Lena and she was beautiful inside and out. I love it. I have boys or Lena would have been a middle name!

Simple and pretty! Perfect for a German girl, since I used to know one.

I used to like this name, but it was immediately ruined once I discovered Lena Dunham. Ick.

The pronunciation leh-nuh is so exotic and beautiful! It’s uncommon too!

This was my great-grandmother's name (from Russia, pronounced Lee-na) and I always liked it -- simple, classy, a little mysterious -- but I'm afraid it's getting too trendy.

Lena is common in Germany and we pronounce it Leh-nah here. But despite being a popular name in my country I've never even met a Lena before but my friends know a few girls called Lena.

I have only heard it pronounced 'LEH-na', never 'LEE-na', and personally, I like the former way better.

Lena is a high quality name.

My grandmother's first name. She is from the American South and pronounces it as Lee-nah, but she usually goes by her middle name. Not my favorite name ever, I always thought it was rather plain but if you like it, cool. I do like Galena or Helena though.

I love this name too much! I think it is very beautiful but underused.

Lena's pretty popular here in France, so it's not a problem here, though a lot of the little Lenas in the anglophone world were probably named after that atrocious Dunham woman - God, I can't stand her or her show!

My name is Lena (Leh-Nuh). I grew up despising my name and now near 40, I still don't care for it. It's too much work... all my life I've had to correct people over and over and I finally gave up about 10 years ago and let people pronounce it any way they want. I'll respond to any pronunciation lol! I'm done correcting people after telling them my name and 2 seconds later they are pronouncing it differently. I'm actually shocked when someone remembers how to pronounce it! It was my grandmother's name so I like for that reason... but I've always secretly wanted to be an Ann, Mary or Jennifer.

Well this is actually my name! In my case, it's pronounced LAY-NAH, although that may be due to my father being of Belgian descent. I do find it rather offensive, being told my name is pronounced incorrectly, although I'm known as Ley to everyone, just to make things less confusing!

I really think that this is a gorgeous and classy name. I am 30 and live in the US, and I have never heard of Lena the hyena. Kids might call a Lena this, but not because of an obscure cartoon. For example, my name is Amanda and was called "Amanda the Panda" as a kid, because it rhymes. My son has a friend from school named Bryson, they call him "Bryson the bison" also because it rhymes. Do not let some cartoon that almost no one knows about keep you from using Lena! As I see it, Lena has no more chance of being called "the hyena" then does, say, Gina, Tina, or Deena!

A trashy name only befitting stuck-up liberal feminazis like that Dunham girl.

This was my great-grandmother's name. She was from Russia originally and it was pronounced Lee-na. I also had a friend from the Ukraine with this name and she also pronounced it Lee-na.

The name is popular in Germany, especially around the Berlin area. Around 30 girls in my school had the name when I lived in Germany.

First time I encountered Lena was playing the video game Watch Dogs. She's a very important person to the main character, and I can't quite recall how they pronounced her name, but it might've been "lee-nah". Just because of how important she was to the main character (Aidan), I really like this name.

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Makes me wanna protect whoever has this name, though.

This is my name which makes me fairly partial to it, however not only because I find it to be pretty. I think that a name helps to make a person, and in my case, Lena has always felt like a strong name and has made me a strong person. Being from the US it is not a very common name, which I think gives it more character. I've learned to accept the different pronunciations, but be warned if you name your daughter this she may go through a phase where she can't stand that people don't always pronounce her name right. That being said, I pronounce my name "LEE-nuh".

I'm not keen on names with phonological ambiguity, which is what this name is in English speaking countries.

I know 2. Alright name I guess.

I LOVE this name, and I plan on naming my daughter this (when and if I have one.) While I have heard it pronounced "Lenna," and "Leena" I only liker the latter.

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It is such a lovely name on it's own; I'm not too fond of any of the longer versions like Helena, Magdelena...

I like this name, but only pronounced Lee-na if it fits the person. My favorite pronunciation, however, is Lay-na. It just sounds prettier to me.

We were home visiting family, relatives, and vacationing in Hungary when one night by one of the summer camps at Lake Balaton I heard a little girl say "Lena, I'm going to tell on you to your Dad!" The children were playing tag and one of the children fell (I think it was Lena) and then I heard that. In Hungarian, of course.
Thus, the name is quite popular (and increasingly so) in Hungary, and I remembered thinking what a beautiful name this Lena is! At least pronounced the Hungarian way, with the soft accent on the "e". In Hungarian, there is no "y" sound in the name Lena, like Leyna, no, it's pronounced more delicate than that. I also like the names Iris and Elea. :)

Lena is a nice old-fashioned choice that can suit women of all ages.

This is my grandmother's name, and I personally have always loved this name! It's sweet and beautiful. :)

This name is sweet and beautiful. I like this name, and it's also very special to me. If I ever have a daughter I'd really consider naming her Lena (I like it pronounced Lee-nuh).

If you want to name your child (Lee-nuh) then spell it Lina. It's either one or the other. Sheesh.

I think that Lena (leh-NA) is a great nick-name for Helena.

My great grandmother was Sicilian, and her name was Niccolina Usemelli, but everyone called her "Lena." I think it's beautiful, and I want to name one of my future daughters "Lena Nicole" in her honor.

I think Lena is an absolutely beautiful name. I've only heard of this name twice, Lena Horne, and Lena Kalagaris form "The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants" movie. Lena can also be short for Lenora (I made this up).

I have always thought Lena was a very pretty name for a girl. I would pronounce it Lee-nuh.

Someone once mentioned this name is Greek but it's far from that. In my opinion, it's ok but just because someone has this name doesn't have to pretty. I'd like to name my child this but on the other side, it will expect her to be all pretty, thin and delicate. Name raffles, anyone?

Very pretty name, in my opinion. I always thought it was spelled "Lina", however. I daresay I prefer that spelling. But all in all, this name is lovely. A character in Amy Tan's novel, THE JOY LUCK CLUB, bears this name.

I have to say, personally I do not like this name. Because it sounds just too plain or either too bothering. Imagine having a child and calling her 'Lena! (Lee-Nuh) or (Leh-Nuh) at a playground...not too nice. But just my opinion!

I love the name Lena! I think that it is very pretty. It is so delicate and sweet sounding.