girl's name
Elinor
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 24,088
Northern Ireland
#430
2004 births
Elinor is a girl's name with 3 syllables. In 2025 it was given to 142 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
- Peaked in 1920, when 656 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 23,348 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Elinor 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 | 137 |
| 1890s | 277 |
| 1900s | 656 |
| 1910s | 4,010 |
| 1920s | 5,761 |
| 1930s | 3,762 |
| 1940s | 1,829 |
| 1950s | 836 |
| 1960s | 417 |
| 1970s | 217 |
| 1980s | 232 |
| 1990s | 405 |
| 2000s | 733 |
| 2010s | 1,424 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 944 |
How popular is Elinor?
In 2025, Elinor was given to 142 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Elinor 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 Elinor is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Élinor | Élinor is a rare spelling of Elinor, written with an acute accent and recorded about 65 times, mostly in France. | 65 |
Names that peaked alongside Elinor
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Elinor also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Elinor over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Elinor
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Elinor — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Elinor
How popular is the name Elinor?
In 2025, Elinor was given to 142 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Elinor a girl's or a boy's name?
Elinor is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Elinor?
Elinor has 3 syllables.
When was Elinor most popular?
Elinor peaked in 1920, when 656 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Elinor a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Elinor currently ranks #1,216 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.