Elena
2025 SSA
2025 SSA
About Elena
Elena is at its most popular point ever in the US, thanks to its cross-cultural appeal and the overall popularity of El- names. It's more international than Ellen or Eleanor, but still accessible.
A pan-European version of Helen, Elena has roots in Spanish, Italian, Slavic, and Romanian, among other languages. Helen, the name from which it derives, came from the Greek word helene, meaning "torch." Alternate spellings include Elaina, Ellena, and Alena.
Elena may be trending, but she's also a solid classic as well as an international favorite. Elena ranks highly in France, Italy, Germany, and Spain along with a host of other countries.
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. Elena of Avalor is a princess featured in the Disney Junior show of that name.
Read more about Elena and other Disney Princess Names in our featured blog.
Elena is also given to boys, where it ranks #11043 in the US.
Pronounced eh-LAY-nuh.
As of October 2026, Elena ranked #42 in US births in 2025 SSA, Nameberry popularity #50.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #121 | 2,616 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #106 | 2,898 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #94 | 3,187 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #68 | 3,881 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #67 | 3,776 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #60 | 3,948 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #55 | 3,926 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #53 | 4,279 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #49 | 4,289 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #47 | 4,276 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #45 | 4,567 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #42 | 4,836 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Elena.
Elena on lists
Famous Elenas
- Elena PetrovićGirl
Njegoš of Montenegro, Queen consort of Victor Emmanuel III of Italy and Albania
- Elena Jane "Ellie" GouldingGirl
English singer
- Elena Sergeevna "Lena" KatinaGirl
Russian singer of group t.A.T.u
- Elena KaganGirl
U.S. Supreme Court Justice
- Elena Alexandrovna LikhovtsevaGirl
Russian tennis player
- Elena BăsescuGirl
Romanian MEP
- Elena FerranteGirl
penname of an unknown Italian novelist
- Elena GantGirl
reality TV personality from "Little Women: LA"
- Elena GoodeGirl
American actress
- Elena María Isabel Dominica de Silos de Borbón y de GreciaGirl
Infanta of Spain; Duchess of Lugo; daughter of Juan Carlos I
- ElenaGirl
Princess of Romania; daughter of Michael I
- Elena Delle DonneGirl
American basketball player
- Elena BibescuGirl
Romanian princess and pianist
- Elena Olegovna BovinaGirl
Russian tennis player
- Elena RadionovaGirl
Russian figure skater
- Elena Sergeevna BaltachaGirl
Ukrainian,British tennis player
- Elena SlivnyakGirl
fashion designer and former "Project Runway" contestant
- Elena VesninaGirl
Russian tennis player
- Elena Viatcheslavovna DementievaGirl
Russian tennis player
- Eleni "Elena" PaparizouGirl
Greek,Swedish singer
- Elena EreminaGirl
Russian gymnast
- Elena ArenasGirl
American gymnast
- Elena Neill (b. 1991)Girl
daughter of actor Sam Neill
- Elena Kitic (b. 1998)Girl
daughter of Serbian stars Mile Kitic & Marta Savic
- Elena BinevaGirl
Bulgarian rhythmic gymnast
- Elena KongGirl
Hong,Kong actress
- Elena Valeryevna KostylevaGirl
Russian figure skater
Elena in pop culture
- Elena GilbertGirl
character in The Vampire Diaries series
- Elena "Helene" Vasilyevna KuraginaGirl
character from Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace
- Elena Castillo Flores of AvalorGirl
Disney Princess on animated series "Elena of Avalor"
- Elena HoughlinGirl
character in 2019's "Charlie's Angels"
- Elena TylerGirl
character on TV's "Felicity"
- Elena RamosGirl
character on TV's "Dallas"
- Elena FisherGirl
character in the video game 'Uncharted'
- Elena LincolnGirl
character in the Fifty Shades of Grey series
- Godmother ElenaGirl
main character in "The Fairy Godmother"
- ElenaGirl
Daemon Spade's lover in the series, 'Katekyo Hitman Reborn!'
- ElenaGirl
character in the game 'Final Fantasy VII'
- Elena DerevkoGirl
character on TV's Alias
- Elena "YoGirl
Yo" Rodriguez, character on TV's "Agents of SHIELD"
- ElenaGirl
character in the Street Fighter video games
- Elena GrecoGirl
heroine and narrator of Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels
- Elena Galathynius HavilliardGirl
half,fae Queen from the Throne of Glass novels
- Elena Antonov Michaels DanversGirl
main character in Kelley Armstrong "Women of the Otherworld"
- Elena AlvarezGirl
character in Netflix's "One Day At A Time"
- Elena AbelliGirl
Female main character of book “The Sweetest Oblivion” by Danielle Lori