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 <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/508/cute-baby-names-for-girls">cute girl names</a>.
 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

The 6th-century Saint Scholastica was an Benedictine abbess, and is the patron saint of education. In modern times, her name has been connected to various educational institutions, notably an open platform of academic and peer-reviewed journals and with an education children's book company. 
 
While it might feel a little clunky and hard to live up, both Scholastica and its variant Scholastique are notably used in a number of African countries, including Tanzania, Nigeria, and Kenya. 
 
It might also appeal to those who enjoy the "dark-academia" aesthetic, and it does have some grounding nickname possibilities, such as Sacha, Lottie, or Scout.

Scholastica

Pandita

These early versions of Eleanor are still sometimes found today.

Alyenor

kitnotkat226's list "intelectual outsider" of 4 great name ideas: Eleanor - Alyenor!

intelectual outsider

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