Elena
Elena was the 42nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 4,836 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 64 places. More babies were named Elena in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Italian/Spanish form of Helen · Ancient Greek
Say it EL-uh-nuh /ˈɛlənə/
- Rank in 2025
- #42 girls, up 13 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 4,836girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20254,836 babies
- Total since 1880
- 108,117babies recorded
What does the name Elena mean?
Elena is the Italian, Spanish and Romanian form of Helen, from Greek Helene. The meaning of the Greek name is not known for certain, so we do not give a one-word meaning.
Ἑλένη (Ancient Greek, “Helene”)
How sure is this? Well established. The origin of Greek Helene is uncertain. Its popular link with Greek words for torch or sun is unproven, so it is not shown here.
See also: Greek names.
Nicknames for Elena
The usual nicknames for Elena are Lena and Ellie. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Elena in the last five years, 135 were named Ellie, against 108 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lena · also for Helen, Helena, Magdalena | Traditional | #279 | 5,792 |
| Ellie · also for Elisa, Elouise, Eliora | Modern | #24 | 30,119 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Elenas go by each one.
Elena popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 104 since 1932, 6 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #42 | 4,836 |
| 2020 | #55 | 3,930 |
| 2010 | #164 | 1,886 |
| 2000 | #234 | 1,366 |
| 1990 | #352 | 756 |
| 1980 | #370 | 633 |
| 1970 | #433 | 509 |
| 1960 | #469 | 431 |
| 1950 | #501 | 259 |
| 1940 | #599 | 135 |
| 1930 | #456 | 219 |
| 1920 | #530 | 178 |
| 1910 | #505 | 65 |
| 1900 | #765 | 23 |
| 1890 | #838 | 11 |
| 1880 | #641 | 8 |
How popular is Elena, counting every spelling?
Elena is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #51 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #42 for Elena on its own. Together these spellings went to 4,879 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elena | 4,836 | #42 | 22,262 |
| Elenna | 25 | #5,133 | 123 |
| Eleena | 18 | #6,386 | 101 |
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 Elena?
4,836 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Elena (1.34 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Elena 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 40. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 2 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Elena.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Elena?
About 99,100 people born in the US named Elena are alive today, with a median age of 14; half are between 6 and 30. That makes Elena mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Elena by state
How common Elena was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Mexico (2.2×), Rhode Island (2.2×), Hawaii (2.1×), Alaska (2.1×), Wyoming (2.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Montana, Mississippi, Louisiana.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Elena: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Elena, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Elena · Sibling names for Elena
Questions about the name Elena
What does Elena mean?
Elena means “Italian/Spanish form of Helen” (Ancient Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Elena?
Elena was the 42nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 4,836 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 64 places. More babies were named Elena in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Elena a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Elena in the US.
Where is Elena most popular?
In 2021–2025, Elena was most common in New Mexico (6.13 per 1,000 girls), followed by Rhode Island and Hawaii.