Elenora
A feminine name derived from Helen, meaning "bright one" or "shining light".
Name Census estimates that about 850 living Americans carry the first name Elenora. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Elenora today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Elenora births was 1917 (119 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Elenora. 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
850
~ 1 in 403,240 Americans
Peak year
1917
119 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,792
Tracked since 1880
Popularity
Elenora: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Elenora from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 826 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
Elenora 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 Elenora during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Elenoras live
The SSA's state-level files cover 19 states and territories. Louisiana, Texas, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Elenora, while Oklahoma, California, Mississippi recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 40 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Elenora
The name Elenora has its roots in the Greek language, originating from the combination of the words "helios" (meaning sun) and "noor" (meaning light). This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals born during daylight or associated with the radiance of the sun. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to ancient Greece, around the 5th century BC.
One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Elenora of Sparta, a renowned philosopher and mathematician who lived in the 4th century BC. She was celebrated for her contributions to the study of geometry and her innovative teaching methods. Her works, though now lost, were highly regarded in her time and influenced generations of scholars.
In the Middle Ages, the name Elenora gained popularity among European nobility. One notable figure was Elenora of Aquitaine (1122-1204), a powerful and influential Duchess who played a significant role in the political and cultural landscape of her era. Her court was a center of learning and artistic patronage, attracting scholars and artists from across Europe.
During the Renaissance period, the name Elenora was associated with figures in the arts and literature. Elenora Grillo (1458-1530), an Italian poet and writer, was praised for her eloquent works that explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition. Her sonnets and poetry were widely circulated and influenced other writers of her time.
In more recent history, the name Elenora has been carried by several notable individuals. Elenora Duse (1858-1924) was an Italian actress renowned for her pioneering work in naturalistic acting techniques. Her performances were highly praised for their emotional depth and nuance, and she is considered one of the greatest actresses of the 19th century.
Another prominent figure was Elenora Roosevelt (1884-1962), the longest-serving First Lady of the United States. She was a dedicated advocate for civil rights, human rights, and social justice, and her work had a profound impact on shaping American society and politics during her lifetime.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Elenora, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of human achievement.
People
Elenora + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Elenora 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
Elenora: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elenora?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 850 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Elenora 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 403,240 US residents.
Is Elenora a common name?
We classify Elenora as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,614 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Elenora most popular?
The single biggest year for Elenora was 1917, when 119 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Elenora is about 41 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Elenora a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Elenora 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.