Eleos
A name of Greek origin meaning "compassion" or "mercy".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Eleos. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Eleos today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Eleos births was 2022 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Eleos. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Eleos. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2022
5 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2022 SSA rank
#12,880
Tracked since 2022
Popularity
Eleos: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Eleos 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 Eleos during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Eleos
The name Eleos has its origins in ancient Greek, where it was derived from the word "eleos" meaning "mercy" or "compassion". This name was particularly prevalent in the Hellenic world during the classical and Hellenistic periods, spanning from the 8th century BC to the 1st century BC.
One of the earliest mentions of the name can be found in Homer's epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey, where the concept of "eleos" was often invoked by characters seeking divine mercy or compassion. In Greek mythology, Eleos was also personified as a minor goddess, representing the nurturing and forgiving aspects of the pantheon.
During the early Christian era, the name Eleos gained further significance as it resonated with the teachings of compassion and mercy espoused by Jesus Christ. Several early Christian saints and martyrs bore this name, including Saint Eleos of Cilicia (3rd century AD), a Christian soldier who was executed for his faith during the Roman persecution of Christians.
In the Byzantine Empire, the name Eleos was particularly popular among the Greek-speaking populace. One notable figure was Eleos of Alexandria (4th century AD), a renowned Christian philosopher and theologian who wrote extensively on the nature of divine mercy and its role in human salvation.
The name also found its way into the Orthodox Christian tradition, with several prominent figures bearing it throughout history. These include Eleos of Ioannina (14th century AD), a notable Greek monk and writer, and Eleos of Akarnania (17th century AD), a revered Orthodox saint known for his charitable works and miracles.
During the Renaissance and early modern periods, the name Eleos maintained its presence, particularly in Greek-speaking regions of the Mediterranean. Notable individuals with this name include Eleos Doukas (15th century AD), a scholar and linguist who played a crucial role in the revival of Greek studies in Italy, and Eleos Koniates (13th century AD), a Byzantine historian and author.
While the name Eleos has seen a decline in popularity in recent centuries, it continues to hold historical and cultural significance, particularly within the Greek Orthodox Christian tradition, where it serves as a reminder of the virtues of mercy and compassion.
People
Eleos + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Eleos 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
Eleos: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Eleos?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Eleos 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Eleos a common name?
We classify Eleos as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Eleos most popular?
The single biggest year for Eleos was 2022, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Eleos is about 4 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 Eleos in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Eleos a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Eleos in the SSA data are male. 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 Eleos still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Eleos 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 Eleos 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 have the name Eleos?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.