Eleanor

Meaning: Possibly the other Aenor
Origin: Occitan — From Aliénor, first borne by Eleanor of Aquitaine

Nicknames: Ella, Nellie, Nora, Nell, Ellie

Girl's name · #12 in the US (2025) · Comeback

Popularity over time

Eleanor was #25 in 1920, slipped to #693, and reached #12 in 2025 — its highest ever. Hardly any name in the record has managed that round trip.

Across the states

See where Eleanor is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 51 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Eleanor ranks in other countries and regions.

#28 in Canada (2025) · #31 in Australia (NSW) (2025) · #32 in Australia (QLD) (2025) · #48 in Australia (VIC) (2025) · #54 in New Zealand (2025) · #56 in England & Wales (2025) · #106 in Ireland (2025) · #116 in Scotland (2025) · #154 in N. Ireland (2025) · #268 in Switzerland (2025) · #330 in Netherlands (2025) · #360 in Belgium (2025) and 7 more.

Famous Eleanors

Eleanor Roosevelt — American diplomat and activist, First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945 (1884–1962)
Eleanor of Aquitaine — Queen of France (1137–52) and England (1154–89); Duchess of Aquitaine (1137–1204) (1124–1204)
Eleanor Parker — American actress (1922–2013)
Eleanor of Castile — Queen of England from 1272 to 1290 (1241–1290)
Eleanor of Provence — Queen of England from 1236 to 1272 (1223–1291)
Eleanor Tomlinson — British actress (born 1992)
Eleanor Marx — English-born activist and daughter of Karl Marx (1855–1898)
Eleanor of Austria — Queen of Portugal (1518–1521) and France (1530–1547) (1498–1558)
Eleanor of England — Queen of Castile and Toledo from 1170 to 1214 (1161–1214)
Eleanor Catton — New Zealand writer (born 1985)

In stories & tradition

Eleanor Bartlet — The West Wing (TV series)
Eleanor Miller^it — Alvin and the Chipmunks character

What Eleanors become

Among 840 notable people named Eleanor:

Artists & writers appear 1.67× more often than among typical names — e.g. Eleanor H. Porter, American novelist known for writing Pollyanna and Just David (1868–1920).

Spellings & nicknames

About 6,200 girls a year are given Nora as their full name, 6,100 Ella, 6,000 Ellie, 500 Nellie, and 120 Nell.

Similar names: Ellie · Violet · Eliana · Lucy · Evelyn · Eloise

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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