Girl · #963 in 2026

Eleni

Eleni is a feminine given name of Greek origin. It is a phonetic spelling of the Modern Greek name "Ελένη", whose ancient version, Ἑλένη, is anglicized as Helen. Popular diminutives and nicknames include: Elenitsa, Elenaki, Elena, Lena, Lenio, Lenners, Nitsa.

  • Greek
Current Rank
#963
Peak Rank
#963 (2026)
Total Babies
7K
5-Yr Trend
+60%
1946
First Year
2026
Last Year
2026
Peak Year
#963
Peak Rank
7K
Total Count
79
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Eleni

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

Eleni is a feminine given name of Greek origin. It is a phonetic spelling of the Modern Greek name "Ελένη", whose ancient version, Ἑλένη, is anglicized as Helen. Popular diminutives and nicknames include: Elenitsa, Elenaki, Elena, Lena, Lenio, Lenners, Nitsa.

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

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Greek

The Story of Eleni

Eleni first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1946, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 269 Elenis were born — ranking #963 that year. As of 2026, Eleni ranks #963 for baby girls with 269 births, rising sharply (+60% over the past five years). In total, more than 7K Elenis have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s 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

Variants & Related Forms of Eleni

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Eleni. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Notable people named Eleni

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Eleni of Ethiopia (died 1522), Ethiopian empress
  • Eleni Aklillu , Ethiopian senior scientific researcher
  • Eleni Andriola (born 1986), Greek gymnast
  • Eleni Antoniadou , Greek public figure
  • Eleni Artymata (born 1986), Greek sprinter
  • Eleni Avlonitou (born 1958), Greek swimmer
  • Eleni Bakopanos (born 1954), Greek-born Canadian politician
  • Eleni Benson (born 1983), Greek footballer

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

Where is Eleni most common?

Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.

  • Greece
    86%
  • CY
    8%
  • AL
    4%
  • Romania
    1%
  • Germany
    1%

Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.

Names that sound like Eleni

Phonetically similar names — useful when Eleni 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 Eleni

What does the name Eleni mean?
Eleni is a feminine given name of Greek origin. It is a phonetic spelling of the Modern Greek name "Ελένη", whose ancient version, Ἑλένη, is anglicized as Helen. Popular diminutives and nicknames include: Elenitsa, Elenaki, Elena, Lena, Lenio, Lenners, Nitsa.
What is the origin of the name Eleni?
Eleni has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Greek.
How popular is Eleni in 2026?
In 2026, Eleni ranks #963 among girls' names in the U.S., with 269 babies given the name that year.
When was Eleni most popular?
Eleni reached its peak popularity in 2026, ranking #963 that year with 269 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Eleni most popular?
Eleni has historically been most popular in Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Eleni.
Is Eleni a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Eleni is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Eleni?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Eleni include Dosha, Glendora, Markita. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Eleni?
Common variants and related forms of Eleni include Lena. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Eleni

Eleni is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1946 and has accumulated 7K births in the dataset. Eleni's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #963. Use the chart and map above to compare Eleni'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.