Eleanor
2025 SSA
2025 SSA
About Eleanor
Eleanor's straightforward feminine image combined with its royal medieval history is striking just the right note for parents in search of a girls' name that combines substance and style.
Big plus: Eleanor is a serious name, with two nicknames—Ellie and Nell/Nellie—that are seriously endearing. Nell is more distinctive, but Ellie is undeniably one of today's top cute girl names.
While some think Eleanor is a variation of Helen via Ellen, it actually derives from the Provencal name Aliénor, of highly-debated meaning. It may come from the Germanic name Adenorde, meaning "ancient north" or "noble north". Another theory is that it derives from the Latin phrase alia Aenor, meaning "other Aenor," used to distinguish some original Eleanor, who was named after her mother Aenor. Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine brought it from France to England in the twelfth century. Other spellings include Elinor and Eleanore.
Diane Lane has an Eleanor, and Katie Couric has an Elinor, using the variant spelling. (Jane Austen used both versions—Eleanor in Northanger Abbey and Elinor in Sense and Sensibility.)
A notable namesake is First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Two other English queens bore the name: the wives of Henry III and Edward I. Eleanor Shellstrop was the protagonist of television show The Good Place.
Eleanora and Leonora are pretty, more feminine variations. Ellen and Lenore are shorter forms.
Eleanor is also given to boys, where it ranks #12559 in the US.
Pronounced EL-uh-nor.
As of October 2026, Eleanor ranked #12 in US births in 2025 SSA, Nameberry popularity #5.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #78 | 3,740 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #60 | 4,439 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #41 | 5,139 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #36 | 5,549 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #32 | 5,727 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #27 | 6,198 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #22 | 6,378 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #15 | 7,097 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #16 | 6,925 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #14 | 6,757 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #14 | 7,127 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #12 | 7,649 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Eleanor.
Eleanor on lists
Famous Eleanors
- (Anna) Eleanor RooseveltGirl
former First Lady of the US as wife of Franklin Roosevelt
- Eleanor of AquitaineGirl
Queen consort of Louis VII of France, then Henry II of England
- Eleanor of CastileGirl
Queen consort of Edward I of England
- Eleanor of ProvenceGirl
Queen consort of Henry III of England
- Eleanor of EnglandGirl
Queen consort of Alfonso VIII of Castile; daughter of Henry II
- Eleanor of CastileGirl
Queen consort of James I of Aragon
- Eleanor of CastileGirl
Queen consort of Alfonso IV of Aragon
- Eleanor of CastileGirl
Queen consort of Charles III of Navarre
- Eleanor of SicilyGirl
Queen consort of Peter IV of Aragon
- Eleanor of ViseuGirl
Queen consort of John II of Portugal
- Eleanor of AustriaGirl
Queen consort of Manuel I of Portugal, then Francis I of France
- Eleanor Jean ParkerGirl
American actress
- Eleanor Marie RobertsonGirl
birth name of Nora Roberts, American novelist
- Ella Augusta "Eleanor" NorcrossGirl
American painter
- Eleanor Louise "Ellie" GreenwichGirl
American songwriter
- Eleanor Suzanne "Ellie" DanielGirl
American Olympic swimmer
- Eleanor Emily Hodgman PorterGirl
American novelist
- Eleanor Holmes NortonGirl
U.S. Congressional delegate from D.C.
- Eleanor Stackhouse AtkinsonGirl
American author
- Eleanor Nancy GowGirl
birth name of Elle Macpherson, Australian supermodel
- Eleanor K. BaumGirl
American pioneering electrical engineer
- Eleanor "Elle" LoganGirl
American Olympic rower
- Eleanor AudleyGirl
American actress
- Eleanor May TomlinsonGirl
English actress
- Eleanor Jessie CoppolaGirl
American film director
- Eleanor Key Francis "Glo" HelinGirl
American astronomer
- Eleanor Winifred WorthingtonGirl
Cox, English actress
- Eleanor Randolph Wilson McAdooGirl
daughter of US President Woodrow Wilson
- (Jenny Julia) Eleanor MarxGirl
daughter of philosopher Karl Marx
- Eleanor StillsGirl
daughter of musician Stephen Stills
- Eleanor Rose "Ella" EdmondsonGirl
English singer; daughter of actress Jennifer Saunders and Adrian Edmondson
- Eleanor Patricia Columbus (b. 1989)Girl
daughter of director Chris Columbus
- Eleanor Jasmine Lambert (b. 1993)Girl
daughter of actors Christopher Lambert and Diane Lane
- Eleanor Grace Dennis (b. 2008)Girl
daughter of actor and TV presenter Les Dennis
- Eleanor "Ellie" Kennedy (b. 2015)Girl
daughter of politician Joseph P. Kennedy III
- Eleanor Talitha BaileyGirl
daughter of Devon Aoki and James Bailey
- Eleanor Jane CalderGirl
English model and fashion blogger who's best known for dating Louis Tomlinson
Eleanor in pop culture
- "Eleanor" has connections to multiple characters in William Shakespeare's playsGirl
notably in Henry VI, King John, etc.
- "Eleanor RigbyGirl
" song by The Beatles
- "Eleanor Put Your Boots OnGirl
" song by Franz Ferdinand
- Eleanor WaldorfGirl
character on "Gossip Girl"
- Eleanor HenstridgeGirl
character on TV's "The Royals"
- Eleanor ShellstropGirl
character on TV's "The Good Place"
- Eleanor "Ellie" BishopGirl
character on TV's "NCIS"
- Eleanor "Elle" BishopGirl
character on TV's "Heroes"
- Eleanor "Nell" PotterGirl
character on TV's "Smallville"
- Eleanor "Nell" Crain/VanceGirl
character in "The Haunting of Hill House"
- Eleanor ArrowayGirl
character in Carl Sagan's "Contact"
- Eleanor "Ellie" NashGirl
character on TV's "Degrassi: The Next Generation"
- Eleanor "Norrie" CalvertGirl
Hill, character on TV's "Under the Dome"
- EleanorGirl
character in video game "Rule of Rose"
- Eleanor LambGirl
character in video game "Bioshock 2"
- Eleanor DouglasGirl
character in "Eleanor and Park" by Rainbow Rowell
- Eleanor OliphantGirl
protagonist of book "Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine" by Gail Honeyman
- "Queen Eleanor's Confession"Girl
A ballad in the 19th century collection "The Child Ballads"
Variations & nicknames
More nicknames
- AleanorGirl
- AlenorGirl
- AleonoreGirl
- AlineGirl
- AllinorGirl
- EileenGirl
- ElGirl
- ElaineGirl
- ElanGirl
- ElanaGirl
- ElaneeGirl
- ElaneyGirl
- ElaniGirl
- ElaniaGirl
- ElanieGirl
- ElannaGirl
- ElanniGirl
- ElanorGirl
- ElanoreGirl
- EleGirl
- EleaGirl
- EleanoraGirl
- ElenGirl
- ElenaGirl
- EleniGirl
- ElenieGirl
- ElenorGirl
- ElenorahGirl
- ElenoreGirl
- ElenyGirl
- ElianoraGirl
- ElianoreGirl
- ElieGirl
- ElienoraGirl
- ElienoreGirl
- EllGirl
- EllaGirl
- ElladineGirl
- ElleGirl
- ElleanorGirl
- ElleeGirl
- ElleighGirl
- EllenGirl
- ElleneGirl
- EllenorGirl
- EllenoraGirl
- EllenorahGirl
- EllenoreGirl
- ElleonorGirl
- ElliGirl
- EllieGirl
- EllinGirl
- EllinerGirl
- EllinorGirl
- EllinoreGirl
- EllyGirl
- EllynGirl
- ElnaGirl
- ElnoraGirl
- ElnoreGirl
- ElynGirl
- ElynorGirl
- ElynoraGirl
- ElynoreGirl
- EnoraGirl
- HeleanorGirl
- HelenGirl
- HelenaGirl
- HeleneGirl
- HelenoraGirl
- HeleonorGirl
- LeanoraGirl
- LenaGirl
- LenoraGirl
- LenoreGirl
- LeonoraGirl
- LeonoreGirl
- LeoraGirl
- LinaGirl
- NeldaGirl
- NellGirl
- NelleGirl
- NelleyGirl
- NelliGirl
- NellieGirl
- NellyGirl
- NonnieGirl
- NoraGirl
- NorahGirl
- NorinaGirl