Eleaner
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "shining light" or "bright one".
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Eleaner. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Eleaner today is around 84 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Eleaner births was 1917 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Eleaner. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Eleaner with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Eleaner is about 84 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Eleaners were born before 1952.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Eleaner. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1917
14 babies that year
Average age
84
years old
1945 SSA rank
#4,741
Tracked since 1911
Popularity
Eleaner: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Eleaner from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 80 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Eleaner 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 Eleaner during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Eleaner
The name Eleaner has its roots in the Old English language, derived from the Germanic elements "eln" meaning strength or courage, and "ard" meaning hardy or brave. It is believed to have originated in the regions of present-day England and parts of northern Europe during the Anglo-Saxon period, around the 5th to 11th centuries AD.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Eleaner can be found in the Domesday Book, a great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as a variant spelling, "Ælienor," referring to a landowner in the county of Berkshire.
In the 12th century, the name gained popularity across Europe, particularly in France, where it was adopted as the French form "Eléanor." This was due in part to the fame of Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204), one of the most powerful and influential figures of the Middle Ages. As the Duchess of Aquitaine and later the Queen of England, her name became widely known and admired.
Another notable figure from history who bore the name Eleaner was Eleanor of Castile (1241-1290), the wife of King Edward I of England. She was renowned for her beauty, intelligence, and devotion to her husband, accompanying him on numerous military campaigns.
In the 14th century, the Italian poet Dante Alighieri immortalized the name in his epic work, the Divine Comedy, where he mentions an "Elenora" in the Paradiso section.
During the Renaissance period, the name Eleaner continued to be popular among the nobility and upper classes. One prominent example is Eleanor of Toledo (1519-1562), the wife of Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. She was a patron of the arts and played a significant role in the cultural life of Florence.
Other notable figures throughout history who bore the name Eleaner include Eleanor of Provence (1223-1291), the Queen of England and wife of King Henry III; Eleanor of Portugal (1328-1348), the Queen of Aragon; and Eleanor of Austria (1498-1558), the Queen of Portugal and France.
People
Eleaner + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Eleaner 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
Eleaner: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Eleaner?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Eleaner 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 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Eleaner a common name?
We classify Eleaner as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 154 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Eleaner most popular?
The single biggest year for Eleaner was 1917, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Eleaner is about 84 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Eleaner in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Eleaner a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Eleaner 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.
Is Eleaner still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Eleaner in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Eleaner can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Eleaner?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.