Elane
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "God has answered".
Name Census estimates that about 469 living Americans carry the first name Elane. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Elane today is around 57 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Elane births was 1950 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Elane. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
469
~ 1 in 730,819 Americans
Peak year
1950
20 babies that year
Average age
57
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,914
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Elane: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Elane from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 151 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Elane by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Elane during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Elanes live
Origin
Meaning and history of Elane
The name Elane is believed to have originated from the Greek language, derived from the word "helene," meaning "bright" or "shining." Its roots can be traced back to ancient Greece, where it was a popular name among the aristocratic classes.
In Greek mythology, Elane was the name of one of the Oceanids, the three thousand daughters of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys. This association with mythological deities suggests the name's long-standing presence in the region's cultural fabric.
The earliest recorded use of the name Elane can be found in ancient Greek texts and inscriptions dating back to the 5th century BCE. One notable figure from this era was Elane of Gortyn, a philosopher and mathematician who lived on the island of Crete around 400 BCE.
During the Byzantine Empire, the name Elane gained popularity among the nobility and was often bestowed upon princesses and other members of the imperial family. A notable example is Elane Komnene, a Byzantine princess and historian who lived from 1028 to 1148 CE and authored the influential work "The Alexiad."
In the Middle Ages, the name Elane spread throughout Europe, particularly in regions influenced by the Byzantine Empire and Greek culture. One prominent figure was Elane of Poitiers, a French noblewoman and crusader who participated in the Second Crusade in the 12th century.
The Renaissance period saw a resurgence of interest in classical Greek literature and culture, further solidifying the name's popularity. Elane de Vivonne, a French aristocrat and patron of the arts, was a notable figure from this era, born in 1599.
During the Enlightenment, the name Elane continued to be favored among intellectual circles, reflecting the era's emphasis on classical education and values. Elane Descartes, a French philosopher and mathematician born in 1721, was a prominent figure who contributed to the advancement of scientific thought.
These are just a few examples of historical figures who bore the name Elane, reflecting its enduring presence and significance across various cultures and epochs, from ancient Greece to the modern era.
People
Elane + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Elane as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Elane: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elane?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 469 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Elane going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 730,819 US residents.
Is Elane a common name?
We classify Elane as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 806 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Elane most popular?
The single biggest year for Elane was 1950, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Elane is about 57 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Elane a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Elane in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.