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Marie Lanen
Head of parenting sections (baby, pregnancy, family), psychology and beauty
Some diminutives are sometimes more successful than their original first name. Often shorter, they meet the current desires of future parents. Discover this first name that the Bretons are particularly fond of!
All future parents know the famous question “So, have you chosen the first name?” comes up again and again during pregnancy. Relatives are often curious and future parents do not always know how to answer this question. Your choice is also not to reveal this secret until the birth… And if you are still hesitant about the first name of your future child, Doctissimo has selected a pretty diminutive of Elena which should appeal to more than one!
Léna, diminutive of Elena among the Bretons
According to the authors of the book L’Officiel des Prénoms (First Editions), the Léna that the Bretons know is a diminutive of Elena, but this international form of Hélène has long been used in Slavic countries, Scandinavian countries and Germany. This first name means “shine of the sun” in Greek. Lena is also the name of a Russian river that mainly feeds central Siberia.
The history of this first name in France is quite recent. In fact, Léna did not name more than 50 French women per year before the 1980s. Its rise is all the more spectacular since it only took a decade to establish itself among the elite. Supported by the wave of short sounds in “a” and its Breton identity, Léna has maintained itself against all odds in the top 20. Once considered its rival, Elena does not overshadow it in the women’s top 30. The rise of Léna (and the name Elena) has encouraged the spotlight on the name Ilona, which has taken off so quickly that it has become a victim of its success (it is now ranked in the national top 300).
In French-speaking countries, Léna is losing ground in French-speaking Switzerland and Quebec, to the benefit of Elena, which retains its appeal. In France, Léna has been the 13th most popular female name in France since 2000. This name is given to almost one in 150 girls today!
There are several variations of the first name: Lehna, Leina, Lenna.
Finally, in terms of characterology, little Lenas are credited with dynamism, courage, curiosity, independence and charisma. They are the stars of the school!
First names beginning with “a” are always appreciated by parents
If the name Léna (or Elena) is so popular with future parents, it is not the only name ending in “A” that is popular. Indeed, if the ending in “a” appeared strongly at the beginning of the 2000s is starting to see its popularity curve drop slightly, the emergence of Alba has encouraged the entry of other contenders in “a”, such as Alma and Inaya, into the club. We are therefore not likely to see the disappearance of female names ending in “A” any time soon, as they remain a safe bet for many future parents.
Even among little boys, this ending is becoming trendy. Moreover, the experts from the book L’Officiel des Prénoms have established a list of male first names in “A” that could inspire future parents: Andrea, Andria, Atilla, Cosma, Costa, Dakota, Demba, Élia, Elisha, Énoha, Ezra, Gilda, Gorka, Indiana, Indra, Issa, Jérémia, Joshua, Kolia, Kosma, Kostia, Lorca, Louca, Louka, Lucas, Lukas, Manéa, Manoa, Mara, Micha, Mika, Mircea, Moana, Moussa, Nikita, Nikola, Noa, Numa, Rida, Sacha, Samba, Simba, Soa, Sylla, Téva, Tobia, Vania, Volodia, Ydrissa, Yona, Yuma, Zacharia, Zola.
Slideshow: Top first names starting with A