Elena

eh-LAY-nah, eh-LEN-ah, EL-en-ah

Spanish, Italian, German, Greek variation of Helen

"bright, shining light"

Elena Origin and Meaning

The name Elena is a girl's name of Spanish, Italian, Greek origin meaning "bright, shining light".

Elena, a pan-European version of Helen, has roots in Spanish, Italian, Slavic, and Romanian, among others. Helen, the name from which it derives, came from the Greek word helene, meaning “torch.” Alternate spellings include Elaina, Ellena, and Alena.

Elena has never been as popular in the US as it is now thanks to the overall popularity of El- names. It's more exotic than Ellen or Eleanor, but still accessible. It is also ranking other countries as well—it is highly popular in Spain, where it is pronounced eh-LEH-na. In the US, the eh-LAY-na pronunciation has traditionally been more common.

A worthy namesake is Elena Kagan, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, the fourth female to hold that position. Pseudonymous Italian writer Elena Ferrante, author of the Neapolitan Novels, is another famous Elena. A fictional bearer is Elena Gilbert, protagonist of The Vampire Diaries. and Elena Lincoln is a character in Fifty Shades of Grey.

• 60 US 2019
• 90 Nameberry 2021
• 132 England 2018
• 51 France 2019
• 46 Netherlands 2020
• 42 Germany 2020
• 29 Spain 2019
• 86 Australia 2019
• 27 Italy 2019
• 26 2028 2028
• 18 Austria 2019
• 79 Hungary 2020
• 87 Poland 2020
• 15 Switzerland 2019