Eleanor
Eleanor was the 12th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 7,649 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 48 places. More babies were named Eleanor in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Occitan (Old Provençal)
Say it EL-uh-nor /ˈɛlənɔr/
- Rank in 2025
- #12 girls, up 10 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 7,649girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19208,497 babies
- Total since 1880
- 337,323babies recorded
What does the name Eleanor mean?
Eleanor first appears with Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204), whose name in Occitan was Aliénor. A common explanation reads it as Latin alia, 'other', plus Aenor, her mother's name, so 'the other Aenor'. DMNES notes possible earlier examples, which would make that story incomplete, and calls the origin uncertain. The name was carried by many queens, including two 13th-century queens consort of England.
Aliénor (Old Occitan, “name of Eleanor of Aquitaine”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The 'other Aenor' story is traditional, and DMNES says it 'cannot be the complete story'.
Other explanations you may read: A form of Helen.
See also: French names.
Nicknames for Eleanor
The usual nicknames for Eleanor are Ellie, Nora, Nell, Nellie and Elle. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Eleanor in the last five years, 87 were named Nora, against 84 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ellie · also for Elisa, Elouise, Eliora | Traditional | #24 | 30,119 |
| Nora · also for Lenora, Eleanora | Traditional | #20 | 30,984 |
| Nell · also for Penelope, Helen, Helena | Traditional | #1,628 | 617 |
| Nellie · also for Helen, Ellen, Nell | Traditional | #533 | 2,475 |
| Elle · also for Danielle, Gabrielle | Modern | #461 | 3,679 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Eleanors go by each one.
Eleanor popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 645 since 1906, 5 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #12 | 7,649 |
| 2020 | #22 | 6,379 |
| 2010 | #166 | 1,851 |
| 2000 | #375 | 771 |
| 1990 | #599 | 378 |
| 1980 | #677 | 258 |
| 1970 | #522 | 366 |
| 1960 | #328 | 825 |
| 1950 | #199 | 1,371 |
| 1940 | #68 | 3,584 |
| 1930 | #39 | 5,823 |
| 1920 | #25 | 8,497 |
| 1910 | #55 | 1,798 |
| 1900 | #88 | 753 |
| 1890 | #117 | 351 |
| 1880 | #127 | 129 |
How popular is Eleanor, counting every spelling?
Eleanor is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #17 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #12 for Eleanor on its own. Together these spellings went to 7,853 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eleanor | 7,649 | #12 | 35,587 |
| Eleanore | 156 | #1,398 | 631 |
| Elleanor | 48 | #3,265 | 231 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Eleanor?
7,649 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Eleanor (2.12 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Eleanor born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 25. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 1 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Eleanor.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Eleanor?
About 139,900 people born in the US named Eleanor are alive today, with a median age of 12; half are between 5 and 62. That makes Eleanor a young name: most people with it are children. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Eleanor by state
How common Eleanor was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (5.0×), Wyoming (3.4×), Alaska (3.1×), Maine (3.0×), District of Columbia (2.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Jersey, California, Florida.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Eleanor: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Eleanor, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Eleanor · Sibling names for Eleanor
Questions about the name Eleanor
What does Eleanor mean?
The origin of Eleanor is uncertain: the 'other Aenor' story is traditional, and DMNES says it 'cannot be the complete story'.
How popular is the name Eleanor?
Eleanor was the 12th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 7,649 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 48 places. More babies were named Eleanor in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Eleanor a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Eleanor in the US.
Where is Eleanor most popular?
In 2021–2025, Eleanor was most common in Vermont (21.87 per 1,000 girls), followed by Wyoming and Alaska.