Elena: Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity, & Inspiration

Updated March 21, 2024

Table of contents

Girl name origins & meanings

Greek : Light; form of Helen
French : Variation of Helen
Greek : Torch

What does Elena mean and stand for?

The name Elena is of Greek, Spanish, Italian, and German origin and means "bright, shining light". It has roots in Spanish, Italian, Slavic, and Romanian. Elena derives from the name Helen, which came from the Greek word helene, meaning “torch.”

Syllables: 3

Girl name variations

How Popular Is The Name Elena

Popularity

According to Social Security Administration data, Elena has been consistently popular, rising in popularity every year and maintaining a spot in the top 100 since 2016. In the lower-200s in just 2000, Elena has reached peak popularity in 2020, ranking at position 55, quite the jump from years prior.

However, it is the 8th most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Elena was at its peak popularity in July 2016.

Elena has been on the rise in the US and Spain thanks to the popularity of El- names. Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Elena Kagan (the fourth woman to hold that position), is one of the most prominent namesakes. Author Elena Ferrante, actress Elena Goode, singer Ellie Goulding (born Elena Goulding), and singer Elena Siegman. The name has also been chosen for characters in 2001: Space Odyssey, The Vampire Diaries, and Fifty Shades of Grey.