girl's name
Eleanor
EL-uh-nor
- Origin Occitan/French
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 392,215
the United States
#12
2025 births
Eleanor is a girl's name that traces back to Eleanor of Aquitaine, the twelfth-century queen of France and later England, whose own name, Aliénor, is widely explained as "the other Aenor," distinguishing her from her mother, also named Aenor. The name's deeper linguistic root is uncertain, though it is often loosely associated with "light" through later confusion with Helen.
- Eleanor is a name of Occitan/French origin.
- Peaked in 1920, when 8,507 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 433 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Eleanor over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,136 |
| 1890s | 4,754 |
| 1900s | 10,044 |
| 1910s | 54,258 |
| 1920s | 74,964 |
| 1930s | 46,572 |
| 1940s | 23,837 |
| 1950s | 11,072 |
| 1960s | 5,938 |
| 1970s | 2,750 |
| 1980s | 2,796 |
| 1990s | 4,871 |
| 2000s | 11,192 |
| 2010s | 40,141 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 41,998 |
What Eleanor means
Eleanor's meaning is genuinely unsettled. The traditional explanation, "the other Aenor," refers to Eleanor of Aquitaine being named to distinguish her from her mother rather than to any word meaning. A popular but less certain reading connects Eleanor to "light," through a later association with the Greek name Helen, though most name scholars treat this as folk etymology.
Where Eleanor comes from
Eleanor descends from the Old Occitan Aliénor, the name of Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was born around 1122 and became queen consort first of France and then of England. The most widely repeated explanation for her name is that it meant "the other Aenor" — alia Aenor in Latin — distinguishing her from her mother, Aenor of Châtellerault. From England, the name spread as Eleanor and later Ellinor, carried by subsequent medieval queens including Eleanor of Provence and Eleanor of Castile. Because the name's original meaning was tied to a specific mother-daughter naming choice rather than an independent word, its etymology remains unusually well documented in history but genuinely uncertain in linguistics.
Eleanor in use
Eleanor is a rare case of a name whose recorded origin story is about a naming decision rather than a word meaning.
How popular is Eleanor?
In 2025, Eleanor was given to 7,654 babies in the United States, ranking #12 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Eleanor is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Eleanor is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Eléanor | Eléanor is Eleanor written with an acute accent, used in France, where it ranks #1,110. | 840 |
| Éléanor | Éléanor is Eleanor written with an acute accent, used in France, where it ranks #1,022. | 460 |
| Éleanor | Éleanor is a rare spelling of Eleanor, written with an acute accent and recorded about 5 times, mostly in France. | 5 |
Names that peaked alongside Eleanor
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Eleanor also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Eleanor over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
6 nicknames for Eleanor
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Eleanor in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Eleanor
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Eleanor — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Eleanor
What does the name Eleanor mean?
Eleanor's original meaning is uncertain — the traditional story is that it meant "the other Aenor," distinguishing Eleanor of Aquitaine from her mother of a related name.
Is Eleanor related to Helen?
They are sometimes linked through a later association with "light," but most name scholars treat this as folk etymology rather than a true shared root.
Who was Eleanor of Aquitaine?
Eleanor of Aquitaine was a twelfth-century queen of both France and England and the historical source of the name Eleanor.
How popular is the name Eleanor?
In 2025, Eleanor was given to 7,654 babies in the United States, ranking #12 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Eleanor a girl's or a boy's name?
Eleanor is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Eleanor?
Eleanor has 3 syllables.
When was Eleanor most popular?
Eleanor peaked in 1920, when 8,507 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
What are the nicknames for Eleanor?
Eleanor is usually shortened to Elle, Nora, Ellie, Ella, Nell and Nellie.
Is Eleanor a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Eleanor currently ranks #12 in the United States. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.