Girl · #14 in 2026

Eleanor

Eleanor is a feminine given name, originally from an Old French adaptation of the Old Provençal name Aliénor. It was the name of a number of women of royalty and nobility in western Europe during the High Middle Ages. The name was introduced to England by Eleanor of Aquitaine, who came to marry King Henry II.

Current Rank
#14
Peak Rank
#14 (1920)
Total Babies
343K
5-Yr Trend
+13%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
1920
Peak Year
#14
Peak Rank
343K
Total Count
147
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Eleanor

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Eleanor is a feminine given name, originally from an Old French adaptation of the Old Provençal name Aliénor. It was the name of a number of women of royalty and nobility in western Europe during the High Middle Ages. The name was introduced to England by Eleanor of Aquitaine, who came to marry King Henry II.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history
Further information: Aenor The name derives from the Provençal name Aliénor, which became Éléonore in Langue d'oïl , i.e., French, and from there Eleanor in English. The origin of the name is somewhat unclear; one of the earliest bearers appears to have been Eleanor of Aquitaine (1120s–1204). She was the daughter of Aénor de Châtellerault , and it has been suggested that having been baptized Aenor after her mother, she was called alia Aenor , i.e. "the other Aenor" or Aliénor in childhood and would have kept that name in adult life. Some sources say that the name Aénor itself may be a Latiniza

The Story of Eleanor

Eleanor first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 129 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1920, when 8,497 Eleanors were born — ranking #25 that year. As of 2026, Eleanor ranks #14 for baby girls with 7,185 births, gradually rising (+13%). In total, more than 343K Eleanors have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Eleanor

Phonetically similar names — useful when Eleanor is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Eleanor

What does the name Eleanor mean?
Eleanor is a feminine given name, originally from an Old French adaptation of the Old Provençal name Aliénor. It was the name of a number of women of royalty and nobility in western Europe during the High Middle Ages. The name was introduced to England by Eleanor of Aquitaine, who came to marry King Henry II.
How popular is Eleanor in 2026?
In 2026, Eleanor ranks #14 among girls' names in the U.S., with 7,185 babies given the name that year.
When was Eleanor most popular?
Eleanor reached its peak popularity in 1920, ranking #14 that year with 8,497 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Eleanor most popular?
Eleanor has historically been most popular in Vermont, District of Columbia, Montana. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Eleanor.
Is Eleanor a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Eleanor is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Eleanor?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Eleanor include Martha, Nellie, Rose. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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About the name Eleanor

Eleanor is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 343K births in the dataset. Eleanor's peak popularity came in 1920 when it ranked #14. Use the chart and map above to compare Eleanor's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.