What does Milena mean?
Milena comes from the Slavic mil, “gracious,” “dear” or “loving.”
What does Nadya mean?
A Slavic short form of Russian Nadezhda ('hope'), from the Old Slavic word for hope. Used both as a nickname and an independent name.
Milena vs Nadya
Which is more popular?
Milena is more popular than Nadya today: about 271 US babies were given the name Milena in 2025, compared with 0 named Nadya.
| Milena | Nadya | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Gracious, dear | hope |
| Origin | Slavic | slavic |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | mee-LEH-nah | NAHD-yah |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1918 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2019 (428) | 2006 (115) |
| In 2025 | 271 | 0 |
| Trend | Rising | Declining |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Milena
Nadya
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Milena | Nadya |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 2,083 | 190 |
| 2010s | 3,218 | 625 |
| 2000s | 1,351 | 951 |
| 1990s | 457 | 421 |
| 1980s | 239 | 226 |
| 1970s | 231 | 118 |
| 1960s | 94 | 47 |
| 1950s | 39 | 28 |
| 1940s | 26 | 31 |
| 1930s | 0 | 5 |
| 1920s | 6 | 0 |
| 1910s | 5 | 5 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Milena or Nadya more popular?
Milena is more popular than Nadya today: about 271 US babies were given the name Milena in 2025, compared with 0 named Nadya.
What is the difference between Milena and Nadya?
Milena means Gracious, dear (Slavic origin), while Nadya means hope (slavic origin).
Which name is older, Milena or Nadya?
In US records, Milena first appears in 1918 and Nadya in 0, so Nadya has the longer recorded history.