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