Elena
How to say it: uh-LAY-nuh · /əˈleɪnə/
Variant of Helen; from Greek Helene, possibly meaning 'torch' or 'light'. Widely used across European cultures.
Elena was the 55th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 4,836 babies (Social Security Administration). The 2020s are its busiest decade so far, its births are up about 65% in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #40 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #55 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 4,836 |
| Share of births | 1 in 680 |
| Peak decade | 2020s |
| Change over 10 years | +65% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #40 |
| In France, 2025 | #21 among girls’ names, 1,780 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Elena keeps climbing and the 2020s are its best showing yet. Standing at its peak at #55, further growth looks likely.
What goes with it
Soft and flowing with a light airy glow, Elena feels gentle and at home across borders. Ellie makes a sweet short form, while Sofia shares its rhythm.
Middle names that flow with Elena →
Nicknames
- Ellie
- Lena
- Eli
Other spellings
Honouring a Elena in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Elena is about 1 in 29.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish.
In France: #21 for girls in 2025.
England and Wales: #161. Ireland: #191.
Famous people named Elena
- Elena Ferrante (born 1943)Pseudonymous Italian writer
- Elena Kagan (born 1960)Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2010
- Elena Gheorghe (born 1985)Romanian singer
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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