Elena
Elena is a girls' name of Greek origin meaning “bright, shining light.” It ranked #46 in the United States in 2025. A form of Helen, from the Greek Helene, possibly related to helios (sun) or selas (light).
how do you pronounce Elena?
eh-LAY-nah
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Elena mean?
The name Elena means “bright, shining light.” It comes from the Greek language tradition.
A form of Helen, from the Greek Helene, possibly related to helios (sun) or selas (light). It is popular across Southern and Eastern Europe and has spread widely through the United States.
where does the name Elena come from?
A form of Helen, from the Greek Ἑλένη, whose derivation is genuinely uncertain. It is often connected to helenē, a word for torch or basket, or to selene, meaning moon, but neither is secure and the name may well predate Greek.
the history of Elena
Helen of Troy gave the name its oldest and heaviest association, and St Helena, mother of Constantine, gave it a Christian one — she is credited by tradition with locating the True Cross in Jerusalem. Elena is the standard form across Italian, Spanish, Romanian and Russian, and has been continuously used in all of them.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2024 | #46 |
| 2023 | #47 |
| 2022 | #48 |
| 2021 | #49 |
| 2020 | #50 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Elena?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Elena?
- Elena Ferrante
- Elena Gilbert (fictional)
- Elena Delle Donne
what names are similar to Elena?
what names go well with Elena?
Sibling names that share Elena's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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