Given name & surname
Elena
“the shining light”
In English use, Elena is a variant of Yelena. In Russian use, Yelena carries the interpretation “the shining light.”
Original Spanishเอเลนา
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Spanish use, Elena carries the interpretation “the shining light.” In English use, Elena is a variant of Yelena. In Russian use, Yelena carries the interpretation “the shining light.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Spanish.
How it developed
Elena is used as a form of Helen.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Elena is a form of Helen. The history of Helen gives this family its wider story. Helen’s historical associations include the mother of the Emperor Constantine.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Elena through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 108,117
- 104 boys · 108,013 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 4,842 babies
- 2025
- 4,842
- #42 for girls · #11,043 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +19%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 4,836 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 42 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 18.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 6 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (809). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 114,540 as a first name in 2020; 607 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Elena’s family of names
In Breton usage, Elena has a diminutive in Lena. Elena shares a linguistic root with Helen. In Catalan usage, Elena has a conventional equivalent in the English form Ellen.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Elena has relatives in 36 languages. Lines run from its Spanish roots to each of them.
Spanishwhere Elena comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 33
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Elliediminutive · English
- Lenadiminutive · Breton
- Helenavariant · Portuguese, Czech
- Elinavariant · German
- Elenivariant · English
- Yelenavariant · English
- Ileanadiminutive · Romanian
- Helenevariant · German, Norwegian
Show 25 moreShow fewer
- Elennalikely variant
- Jelenavariant · Czech, Slovene
- Eleenavariant
- Elynavariant
- Elenevariant
- Elenievariant
- Elkadiminutive · Slovak
- Elenvariant · Slovene
- Elinahvariant
- Elenitadiminutive · Tagalog
- Eleenevariant
- Elenahvariant
- Codoinickname
- Eleneahvariant
- Eleneavariant
- Eleynvariant
- Elenitsavariant
- Elynahvariant
- Eleenahvariant
- Helēnavariant · Latvian
- Lenuțadiminutive · Romanian
- Lenaigdiminutive · Breton
- Elenôčkadiminutive · Slovak
- Elenkadiminutive · Slovak
- Elēnavariant · Latvian
Spellings & scripts 4
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 39
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Helencognate · English
- Alenaequivalent
- EllenEnglish
- Leenaequivalent
- Lelaequivalent
- ElinFaroese
- Ellenaequivalent
- IlonaHungarian
Show 31 moreShow fewer
- Olenaequivalent
- Ellinaequivalent
- Elonaequivalent
- Ilenaequivalent
- Nitsaequivalent
- Elnaequivalent
- Lenkaequivalent
- Alenkaequivalent
- Jelaequivalent
- Leneequivalent
- HélèneFrench
- Νίτσαequivalent
- Helénaequivalent
- Aelenaequivalent
- Аленаequivalent
- Λέναequivalent
- Έλεναequivalent
- Jeļenaequivalent
- Lénaequivalent
- Lenkeequivalent
- Helkaequivalent
- Ελίναequivalent
- Λέλαequivalent
- ОленаUkrainian
- ЈеленаSerbian, Serbo-Croatian
- ElínIcelandic
- LéanIrish
- ΕλένηGreek
- ელენეGeorgian
- ՀեղինեArmenian
- Ἑλένηroot · Ancient Greek
People named Elena
- Ellie GouldingEnglish singer and songwriter (born 1986)
- InnaRomanian singer and songwriterborn 1986
- Helena PaparizouGreek singerborn 1982
- Elena DementievaRussian tennis playerborn 1981
- Elena CeaușescuRomanian politician (1919–1989)
- Elena RybakinaKazakhstani tennis playerborn 1999
- Elena Ferrantepseudonymous Italian writerborn 1943
- Elena Cornaro PiscopiaVenetian philosopher (1646–1684)
- Elena of Montenegroqueen consort of Italy (1900-1946) and Servant of God; mother of Umberto II of Italy1873–1952
Characters named Elena: Elena Gilbert (The Vampire Diaries television series), Elena Fisher (Uncharted).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Elena, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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—
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