Girl name · Greek
Elena
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: form of Helen, probably from Greek torchElena is a girl's name that is of Greek origin: form of Helen, probably from Greek torch. It is used in English, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Greek and German.
- Meaning
- Form of Helen, probably from Greek torch
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #42 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Elena
As a girl's name, Elena is of Greek origin: form of Helen, probably from Greek torch. It is used in English, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Greek and German.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
How popular is Elena?
- US rank in 2025
- #42
- 4,836 babies, 3,009 per million girls
- Best rank
- #42 in 2025
- 4,836 babies that year
- Babies since 1880
- At least 108,013
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 56 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 90 per million |
| 1900s | 128 per million |
| 1910s | 164 per million |
| 1920s | 181 per million |
| 1930s | 154 per million |
| 1940s | 155 per million |
| 1950s | 180 per million |
| 1960s | 260 per million |
| 1970s | 342 per million |
| 1980s | 367 per million |
| 1990s | 528 per million |
| 2000s | 850 per million |
| 2010s | 1,646 per million |
| 2020s | 2,692 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #94 | #68 | #67 | #60 | #55 | #53 | #49 | #47 | #46 | #42 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Elena
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- EleniGreek form of Helen, probably from helene, torch; the meaning is uncertain (Greek, girl)
Names spelled like Elena
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- ElsaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- ElisaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- EdenPossibly delight, pleasure (Hebrew, unisex)
- ElianaMy God has answered (Hebrew, girl)
- EllaShort form of names such as Elisabeth and Eleonore (Germanic, girl)
- EdinaFrom Edinburgh (Latin, girl)
- EdnaPleasure, delight (Hebrew, girl)
- ElaHazel (Turkish, girl)
- ElainaVariant of Elaine, an Old French form of Helen (Greek, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- LilianaLatinate form of Lillian, probably from Elizabeth or Lily (English, girl)
- AaronProbably Egyptian, meaning unknown; Hebrew theories say exalted (Hebrew, boy)
- LiaItalian, Portuguese and Greek form of Leah (Hebrew, girl)
- AgataGood, from Greek agathos (Greek, girl)
- AresPerhaps from Greek words for bane, ruin, or male (Greek, boy)
- AthenaMeaning unknown; the Greek goddess of wisdom (Greek, girl)
- AtlasPossibly enduring, from Greek tlao, to endure (Greek, boy)
- BruceProbably from Brix in Normandy (French, boy)
- CatalinaSpanish form of Katherine, later linked to Greek pure (Greek, girl)
- DorianMember of an ancient Greek tribe (Greek, boy)
- GrahamFrom a surname from the place name Grantham, probably gravelly homestead (Old English, boy)
- LeahProbably weary, grieved (Hebrew, girl)
- LukaForm of Lucas, probably from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- MariaGreek and Latin form of Miriam, of uncertain meaning (Hebrew, girl)
- PenelopeProbably from a Greek word for a type of duck (Greek, girl)
Middle names for Elena
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Greek
- AlexandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- IrenePeace, tranquility (Greek, girl)
- IrisA rainbow (Greek, girl)
- SofiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- SophieWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- ZoeLife, living (Greek, girl)
- AnastasiaResurrection, rising again (Greek, girl)
- ChristinaFollower of Christ (Greek, girl)
- NicoleVictory of the people (Greek, girl)
- PetraRock, stone (Greek, girl)
- RitaA pearl (Greek, girl)
- AgnesPure, chaste (Greek, girl)
- AngelaMessenger, angel (Greek, girl)
- BarbaraForeign woman (Greek, girl)
- ChloeGreen shoot (Greek, girl)
- ClioGlory (Greek, girl)
- CorinnaMaiden (Greek, girl)
- DoraGift (Greek, girl)
Elena: common questions
What does the name Elena mean?
Elena is of Greek origin: form of Helen, probably from Greek torch. Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Elena a boy or girl name?
Elena is mainly a girl's name. In 2025, 4,836 girls and 6 boys in the US were named Elena, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Elena come from?
Elena is of Greek origin: form of Helen, probably from Greek torch. Today it is used in English, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Greek and German.
How popular is the name Elena?
Elena ranked #42 in the US in 2025, with 4,836 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Elena?
Forms of Elena with the same meaning and origin include Eleni (Greek).
What middle names go with Elena?
Middle names that flow well with Elena include Aurora, Belle, Fenella, Grace and Holly. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.