Celaena

sell-LAY-nah; suh-LEH-nuh; cheh-LEH-nuh

Variation of Celaeno, Greek, Literature

"dark one"

Celaena Origin and Meaning

The name Celaena is a girl's name meaning "dark one".

Celaena notably appears in the Throne of Glass book series by popular fantasy writer, Sarah J. Maas. It is borne by one Celaena Sardothien, also known as Aelin Galathynius, a teenaged assassin and one of the main characters.

The literary name was inspired by the Greek Celaeno, a mythological choice meaning "dark one", and given to one of the seven sister nymphs who became part of the Pleiades constellation.

In the fictional series, Celaena is pronounced as sell-LAY-nah, which could make it appealing to those who like Elena/Elaina, Selena, and nickname Laney. As such, and owing to the popularity of Maas's works, nine babies were named Celaena in the US in 2024.