What does Milena mean?
Milena comes from the Slavic mil, “gracious,” “dear” or “loving.”
What does Zora mean?
Zora means “dawn” or “daybreak” in the Slavic languages.
Milena vs Zora
Which is more popular?
Milena is more popular than Zora today: about 271 US babies were given the name Milena in 2025, compared with 264 named Zora.
| Milena | Zora | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Gracious, dear | Dawn |
| Origin | Slavic | Slavic |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | mee-LEH-nah | ZOR-ah |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1918 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2019 (428) | 2019 (353) |
| In 2025 | 271 | 264 |
| Trend | Rising | Rising |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Milena
Zora
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Milena | Zora |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 2,083 | 1,845 |
| 2010s | 3,218 | 1,662 |
| 2000s | 1,351 | 877 |
| 1990s | 457 | 176 |
| 1980s | 239 | 63 |
| 1970s | 231 | 93 |
| 1960s | 94 | 132 |
| 1950s | 39 | 290 |
| 1940s | 26 | 435 |
| 1930s | 0 | 651 |
| 1920s | 6 | 1,103 |
| 1910s | 5 | 1,155 |
| 1900s | 0 | 679 |
| 1890s | 0 | 626 |
| 1880s | 0 | 415 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Milena or Zora more popular?
Milena is more popular than Zora today: about 271 US babies were given the name Milena in 2025, compared with 264 named Zora.
What is the difference between Milena and Zora?
Milena means Gracious, dear (Slavic origin), while Zora means Dawn (Slavic origin).
Which name is older, Milena or Zora?
In US records, Milena first appears in 1918 and Zora in 1880, so Zora has the longer recorded history.