Eleanora
Eleanora was the 865th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 313 babies. Its best year was 1916, when it ranked 486th; the most babies were born in 2025 (313). Over the last ten years it has moved up 606 places. More babies were named Eleanora in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning variant of Eleanor (origin uncertain) · English, Occitan
Say it el-ee-uh-NOR-uh /ˌɛliəˈnɔɹə/
- Rank in 2025
- #865 girls, up 203 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 313girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025313 babies
- Total since 1880
- 8,322babies recorded
What does the name Eleanora mean?
Eleanora is a Latinate form of Eleanor, listed by Wiktionary as a variant. Eleanor comes from Old Provençal Alienor, famous through Eleanor of Aquitaine (12th century), queen of France and then of England. DMNES calls the name of uncertain origin. A popular explanation makes it a form of Helen, and another derives it from the name of Eleanor of Aquitaine's mother Aenor with Latin alia 'the other' (alia Aenor), but neither is proven.
Alienor (Old Occitan, “Eleanor”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. DMNES: of uncertain origin.
Other explanations you may read: A form of Helen, 'light'; From alia Aenor 'the other Aenor'.
Related names: Eleanor, Eleonora, Elnora, Nora, Leonora.
See also: French names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Eleanora', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Eleanor', DMNES (Durham University)
Nicknames for Eleanora
The usual nicknames for Eleanora are Nora, Ellie and Nell. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Eleanora in the last five years, 2212 were named Nora, against 4250 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nora · also for Eleanor, Lenora | Traditional | #20 | 30,984 |
| Ellie · also for Elisa, Elouise, Eliora | Traditional | #24 | 30,119 |
| Nell · also for Eleanor, Penelope, Helen | Traditional | #1,628 | 617 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Eleanoras go by each one.
Eleanora popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #865 | 313 |
| 2020 | #1,068 | 232 |
| 2010 | #2,988 | 57 |
| 2000 | #9,370 | 10 |
| 1990 | #9,517 | 8 |
| 1980 | #6,029 | 11 |
| 1970 | #4,098 | 14 |
| 1960 | #2,840 | 19 |
| 1950 | #1,633 | 33 |
| 1940 | #1,416 | 29 |
| 1930 | #670 | 105 |
| 1920 | #591 | 148 |
| 1910 | #566 | 53 |
| 1900 | #525 | 41 |
| 1890 | #585 | 20 |
| 1880 | #773 | 6 |
How popular is Eleanora, counting every spelling?
Eleanora is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #844 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #865 for Eleanora on its own. Together these spellings went to 313 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eleanora | 313 | #865 | 1,401 |
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 Eleanora?
313 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Eleanora (0.09 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Eleanora born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 27 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Eleanora.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Eleanora?
About 4,300 people born in the US named Eleanora are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 4 and 18. That makes Eleanora a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Eleanora by state
How common Eleanora was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Wisconsin (2.4×), Michigan (2.3×), Massachusetts (2.2×), Washington (2.0×), Minnesota (1.8×). In 22 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Eleanora: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Eleanora, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Eleanora · Sibling names for Eleanora
Questions about the name Eleanora
What does Eleanora mean?
Eleanora is usually explained as “variant of Eleanor (origin uncertain)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Eleanora?
Eleanora was the 865th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 313 babies. Its best year was 1916, when it ranked 486th; the most babies were born in 2025 (313). Over the last ten years it has moved up 606 places. More babies were named Eleanora in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Eleanora a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Eleanora in the US.
Where is Eleanora most popular?
In 2021–2025, Eleanora was most common in Wisconsin (0.42 per 1,000 girls), followed by Michigan and Massachusetts.