Eleanor is a girl's name of French origin. Its meaning is not recorded in the standard references we check — we would rather tell you that plainly than guess. Its exact meaning is debated among name scholars. In 2024 it was given to 7,127 girls in the United States.
Eleanor at a glance
Gender
Girl name
Origin
French · English & American
Meaning
Not recorded in standard references
Pronunciation
/ˈɛləˌnoɹ/
Also spelled
Elanor, Eleonore, Elinor, Ellenor
About the name Eleanor
Eleanor belongs to the French and English & American tradition. Its roots are documented, even though its precise meaning is not recorded in the standard references — an honest gap we prefer to a confident guess. It travels in a few spellings: Elanor, Eleonore, Elinor, Ellenor.
In the United States, Eleanor first appears in Social Security records in 1880. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #14 in 2023, and in 2024 7,127 babies received the name — 328,990 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.
The meaning of Eleanor is not recorded in the standard references we check. Rather than repeat an unsourced claim, we leave it open — its French origin is documented, but its exact meaning is not.
Is Eleanor a boy or girl name?
Eleanor is a girl name. In 2024, 7,127 babies received the name in the US.
What origin is the name Eleanor?
Eleanor comes from the French and English & American tradition. It is also spelled Elanor, Eleonore, Elinor, Ellenor.
How popular is the name Eleanor?
Eleanor first appears in US records in 1880. Its best-ever ranking was #14 in 2023, and 7,127 babies were given the name in 2024.
How do you pronounce Eleanor?
Eleanor is pronounced /ˈɛləˌnoɹ/ (IPA).
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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.
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