Named in SeoulKorean names · Selena
A Korean name for Selena
The closest Korean sound match for Selena is 리나 (Ri-Na) — composed from syllables Koreans actually use in given names — different from simply spelling Selena in hangul (that transliteration is 셀레나, covered below). Each option below pairs Korean syllables with hanja, the Sino-Korean characters that give a name its meaning.
How to write Selena in Korean
In hangul, Selena is written 셀레나 (sel-le-na) — three syllables: 셀 (sel) · 레 (le) · 나 (na).
That spells the sound of Selena in Korean letters — a transliteration, not a name. A Korean given name is composed from syllables Koreans actually use in names, anchored to hanja that carry meaning. The closest one for Selena is 리나, below.
나 is shared by 셀레나 and 리나. The transliteration has three syllables and the Korean name has two, so the name match drops 셀 and 레 and adds 리.
Closest match
리나
Ri-Na · 莉娜
- 莉 (리) — jasmine
- 娜 (나) — graceful
Option 2
서리
Seo-Ri · 瑞莉
- 瑞 (서) — auspicious jade
- 莉 (리) — jasmine
Option 3
서린
Seo-Rin · 瑞璘
- 瑞 (서) — auspicious jade
- 璘 (린) — jade brilliance
What 리나 feels like
The two syllables selected for Selena give 리나 a current, contemporary feel. Together they also carry a soft, feminine lean in today's usage; 셀레나 (sel-le-na) remains the direct spelling. There is one sound element throughout 리나. 리 (ri) and 나 (na) are both fire, carrying warmth, energy, and brightness.
Is 리나 a name Koreans actually use?
As a full name, 리나 is a composition for Selena rather than a common Korean name. Its building blocks are thoroughly current: 리 (ri) and 나 (na) are both used in South Korean given names today, so the result reads naturally rather than dated or foreign.
Other English names that lead to 리나
The English names Adelina, Alina, Angelina, Catalina, Christina and Lena land on the same Korean syllables as Selena: 리 and 나. Each page therefore has 리나 as its closest match.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say Selena in Korean?
Selena in Korean is 셀레나 (sel-le-na). That is the transliteration — how the name is written in hangul, not a Korean given name.
What is the Korean name for Selena?
The closest real Korean name for Selena is 리나 (Ri-Na). Other close matches: 서리 (Seo-Ri), 서린 (Seo-Rin).
What does 리나 mean?
For Selena, the selected 리나 pairing is written with 莉 (리, "jasmine") and 娜 (나, "graceful"). In Korean naming, the hanja carry the meaning.
How do you pronounce 리나?
For the Selena match, 리나 is romanized Ri-Na — two syllables, 리 (ri) · 나 (na).
Is 리나 the only Korean name for Selena?
No. The other candidates are 서리 (Seo-Ri), 서린 (Seo-Rin). The same Korean name, 리나, also matches the English names Adelina, Alina, Angelina, Catalina, Christina and Lena.
Why isn't 셀레나 used as a Korean given name?
셀 and 레 are not syllables used in Korean given names, though 나 is. That is what makes 셀레나 a spelling of Selena rather than a name — 리나 is composed from syllables that do appear in Korean names.
Make it yours
These are sound matches for the name Selena. Your personal result goes further: we calculate your saju (Four Pillars) birth chart and choose hanja whose elements fit you — the way Korean names are traditionally composed. The first name is free.
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