Alyona

Alyona is a Russian and Ukrainian given name that originated as a vernacular form of Yelena, the East Slavic equivalent of Helen. Helen derives from the ancient Greek Helene, whose root meaning is debated but is often connected to the Greek word for torch or light, or possibly to Selene, the moon goddess. The name was widely spread throughout Slavic cultures through the veneration of Saint Helena, the mother of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great. Related forms include Alena, Lena, Yelena, and Elena.