Elena
Elena is a popular female given name of Greek origin. The name means "shining light". Nicknames of the name Elena are Lena, Lennie, Ella, Ellie, Nellie, or Nena.
- Italian
- Spanish
- Romanian
- Bulgarian
Meaning & Origin of Elena
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Elena is a popular female given name of Greek origin. The name means "shining light". Nicknames of the name Elena are Lena, Lennie, Ella, Ellie, Nellie, or Nena.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Italian
- Spanish
- Romanian
- Bulgarian
- Macedonian
- Slovak
- Czech
- Lithuanian
- Estonian
- Finnish
- Russian
- Greek
- German
- English
- French
- Latvian
The Story of Elena
The earliest SSA record of Elena as a baby girl name dates back to 1880, when 8 babies received it. 2026 was its biggest year on record, with 4,635 newborns named Elena — #44 in the national rankings. About 27% of every Elena on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Elena ranks #44 for baby girls with 4,635 births, gradually rising (+13%). All told, over 112K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Elena
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Elena. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Elena
Phonetically similar names — useful when Elena 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 Elena
What does the name Elena mean?
What is the origin of the name Elena?
How popular is Elena in 2026?
When was Elena most popular?
In which U.S. states is Elena most popular?
Is Elena a unisex name?
What names go well with Elena?
What are nicknames or variants of Elena?
About the name Elena
Elena is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 112K births in the dataset. Elena's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #44. Use the chart and map above to compare Elena's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "E" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.