Rising since 1987, #42 for girls today.
Popularity of Elena since 1880
Babies named Elena per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 74 |
| 1890s | 200 |
| 1900s | 376 |
| 1910s | 1,335 |
| 1920s | 2,169 |
| 1930s | 1,638 |
| 1940s | 2,247 |
| 1950s | 3,454 |
| 1960s | 4,744 |
| 1970s | 5,281 |
| 1980s | 6,300 |
| 1990s | 9,500 |
| 2000s | 15,699 |
| 2010s | 28,804 |
| 2020s | 26,192 |
Meaning & origin
Elena has managed something unusual: a climb that has lasted almost forty years without a spike. Rising since 1987, it reached its all-time peak in 2025 at rank 42, about one girl in 332, the profile of a name accumulating trust generation by generation rather than catching a wave.
New Mexico leads its state map, with Wyoming and Rhode Island behind, and that spread captures the name's dual citizenship. Elena is a Hispanic classic first, the everyday Spanish form of Helen, but it travels without friction through Italian, Slavic, Romanian, and English-speaking contexts, and bearers like Elena Kagan and Elena Ferrante keep it visible at the highest cultural registers.
For parents weighing it now, the trend data is reassuring rather than exciting, which is the right kind of boring: a name at its peak after four decades of steady gains is unlikely to feel dated soon. It offers the vintage adjacency of Eleanor and Helen with a warmer Mediterranean finish, plus Lena and Ellie as escape hatches.
Elena is the form of Helen used in Spanish, Italian, Romanian, and much of the Slavic world (Russian renders it Yelena). All trace back to Greek Helēnē, the name of the mythological Helen of Troy, whose derivation was debated even in antiquity, proposals include helenē, "torch," and a connection to selēnē, "moon," but no account is settled. Saint Helena, the fourth-century empress credited with finding the True Cross, carried the name through Christian Europe. Present in American data since 1880 and long sustained by Hispanic and Italian-American families, Elena has broadened steadily into general use since the late 1980s.
Read more: Elena on Wikipedia
Where Elena is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Elena” around the world
Where Elena lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
#39
in 2024
Ireland
23
babies in 2025
New Zealand
26
babies in 2025
Quebec
#26
in 2025
Australia (NSW)
#63
in 2025
Sources: INSEE (France) · CSO Ireland (Ireland) · NZ Dept of Internal Affairs (New Zealand) · Retraite Québec (Quebec) · NSW Registry of BDM (Australia (NSW)).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Lena, Ellie
Famous people named Elena
- Elena Kagan · justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
- Elena Ferrante · pseudonymous Italian novelist of the Neapolitan quartet
- Elena Poniatowska · Mexican journalist and author
Sibling names for Elena
Names that share Elena's style, for a brother or sister.
Sisters: Lucia, Amalia, Clara, Marina, Sofia, Mia, Alana, Ana, Anita, Audra, Blanca, Carla, Carmen, Cecilia, Juanita, Luz, Margarita, Maria, Maribel, Paola, Rosa, Selena, Susana, Adelina, Aila, Alaina, Alanah, Alesia, Alethea, Alexi, Alica, Alina, Amaia, Anabel, Analia, Annalisa, Athena, Aviana, Avianna, Belen, Benita, Casandra, Celina, Chiquita, Corina, Dania, Elida, Elora, Estela, Felipa, Giana, Graciela, Ines, Ivana, Johana, Josefina, Karmen, Katarina, Katerina, Katia, Katina, Kira, Lenora, Liana, Lianna, Lidia, Lilia, Lissa, Lolita, Lorenza, Luisa, Lupe, Mariel, Mariella, Marta, Mayra, Melina, Nicola, Raquel, Reina, Rosalia, Rosalina, Rosalinda, Rosanna, Rosina, Rosita, Savana, Theodora, Vianna, Yamile, Adalina, Adelaida, Adena, Aleksandra, Alexius, Alyna, Amada, Analeah, Annita, Charlena, Cristi, Delena, Devina, Devonna, Domenica, Ellena, Enedina, Evalena, Gracia, Junita, Malena, Marilu, Marita, Marni, Milania, Nena, Rachele, Ria, Sabella, Salena, Teodora, Tomasa, Yoana, Ysabel, Aerin, Albena, Alexy, Alin, Alynna, Amela, Annya, Araina, Avila, Avyana, Benedetta, Caris, Carmalita, Daleysa, Danitza, Denisa, Digna, Ebone, Edina, Eleina, Elenna, Elize, Ellaina, Elleana, Emelina, Evamarie, Evana, Evany, Eviana, Giulietta, Gwendolen, Iana, Isidora, Jenetta, Johanny, Juanda, Katrinia, Khristina, Lanah, Lareina, Laurita, Letizia, Lidya, Loyola, Lus, Marialuisa, Mariangel, Marica, Marieta, Marija, Maritsa, Mayleen, Melida, Mery, Milka, Mirta, Natalina, Olean, Paulita, Reigna, Roxan, Soleia, Suzana, Tere, Theora, Vernessa, Xavia, Yoanna, Ysabelle, Zelena, Zonia, Zophia, Adrie, Ainhara, Alenah, Alexina, Alexza, Alicha, Almena, Analisia, Anelia, Anorah, Antonela, Arayna, Arelia, Aveya, Avonna, Edell, Elania, Emilianna, Emilija, Errica, Eugina, Evania, Evelia, Evetta, Febe, Felissa, Florena, Franci, Galina, Janova, Julina, Leanny, Leiya, Leonila, Liahna, Liliya, Livian, Liviya, Lulia, Manna, Marcedes, Marcellina, Marialena, Mariateresa, Matina, Milarose, Monia, Mylena, Nikoletta, Rainna, Telena, Tereza, Valyn, Veleta, Yuliet, Arabel, Carleta, Dorismar, Halayna, Julita, Lilibet, Merin, Adanely, Airica, Alauni, Alayssa, Aleska, Aleyssa, Alichia, Anaisabel, Analeise, Anastaisa, Annaka, Annalucia, Anova, Anyela, Avea, Aveena, Belenda, Belina, Candita, Daveena, Dorotea, Elanah, Elany, Elisabel, Ellicia, Emila, Emiliya, Erandy, Erine, Eryss, Helem, Iliyana, Ilynn, Ivani, Juanna, Karmina, Legna, Leyan, Lianah, Liliahna, Lucita, Madalina, Magdalina, Mallisa, Mariajulia, Mariyana, Millena, Paolina, Pascha, Reneta, Rodina, Tecla, Teresina, Valeen, Valine, Valynn, Vannia, Zhanna
Brothers: Marco, Adrian, Julian, Lucas, Dante, Gabriel, Luka, Mateo, Santiago, Alfredo, Andres, Damien, Damon, Diego, Enrique, Fernando, Jaime, Jorge, Lorenzo, Nikolas, Pedro, Ramiro, Ramon, Raul, Rolando, Santos, Stefan, Tomas, Victor, Adan, Alfonzo, Alonso, Andreas, Arnaldo, Arturo, Cyril, Demetri, Dimitri, Domingo, Edwardo, Efrain, Efren, Eliam, Elian, Giuseppe, Gregorio, Guillermo, Isael, Isaias, Isidro, Javen, Jeremi, Joaquin, Jordi, Lucio, Manny, Mariano, Mathias, Matthias, Montez, Nino, Reyes, Rigo, Salvador, Tito, Wilfredo, Adin, Albino, Alphonzo, Amado, Amando, Americo, Andrei, Antoni, Armon, Arsenio, Bayron, Castiel, Cipriano, Ciro, Corin, Cristo, Daven, Demetrio, Demitri, Dionicio, Edmundo, Elan, Enoc, Esai, Eusebio, Ezrah, Fabrizio, Fransisco, Giorgio, Guido, Izak, Jamon, Jathan, Juaquin, Justo, Levin, Luigi, Macario, Maximino, Migel, Miquel, Modesto, Osiel, Pavel, Reymundo, Roque, Saverio, Stevan, Teo, Valente, Vasilios, Vidal, Viktor, Vincente, Abrahan, Adrion, Alexandru, Ambrosio, Amedeo, Anden, Andon, Andrej, Andrik, Angello, Attilio, Avan, Ayrton, Camillo, Carles, Chavez, Christo, Curren, Dalon, Damyan, Daryan, Denilson, Dimitry, Dravin, Easten, Eleno, Eliu, Emidio, Enrigue, Esteven, Ezrael, Fransico, Froilan, Gabryel, Georgi, Giovannie, Gordan, Hernando, Irvine, Isaia, Jaun, Javi, Jhoan, Jorje, Juandiego, Juanito, Justino, Konstantine, Kosta, Lalo, Lazar, Lelan, Lorenso, Manual, Michail, Nataniel, Nello, Novak, Oracio, Orien, Otoniel, Piero, Rodriguez, Roi, Sabas, Santi, Saulo, Sergey, Serjio, Sesar, Teofilo, Thaddius, Umberto, Vaden, Zacarias, Zoran, Admir, Aizik, Aldan, Angelos, Ansen, Arkin, Arlind, Arren, Artem, Avien, Benancio, Bogdan, Catalino, Cesario, Constantin, Davier, Delfin, Demetrie, Devian, Elai, Eligha, Elijio, Emmaus, Esias, Ethon, Eugen, Evens, Ezran, Fernandez, Franciso, Franco, Ilian, Ion, Isais, Jastin, Jeno, Jjesus, Joven, Leelan, Lejon, Matei, Mylen, Oliverio, Orazio, Paco, Pancho, Pio, Regino, Romar, Romon, Salbador, Samuele, Seve, Tarron, Teodor, Theran, Ugo, Vicent, Yanni, Zevin, Bacilio, Cleto, Emilo, Ilija, Inigo, Isahi, Aadin, Adrick, Alfonsa, Alian, Amalio, Amiliano, Antolin, Arben, Atilano, Audwin, Avier, Balian, Calden, Cheo, Dago, Damaso, Demitris, Earon, Eduar, Egidio, Ehitan, Eivan, Elizer, Equan, Estephan, Ezren, Ferran, Gahel, Hernandez, Ilyan, Indalecio, Josian, Kaien, Keevon, Kelian, Kelven, Kiril, Lasaro, Liberato, Loudon, Luismanuel, Makarios, Mando, Manolito, Manuelito, Mataeo, Matyas, Mavin, Milen, Milon, Nicolae, Nicoles, Oberyn, Ossiel, Pepe, Rafel, Roldan, Saben, Severino, Soryn, Sosa, Talvin, Theodoro, Theoren, Valeriano, Visente, Wallen, Yeremi, Yordan, Ysmael, Zeon
Names like Elena
Names whose popularity has moved with Elena's over the last 50 years.
