Elena
Meaningpossibly torch, light · Spanish form of Helen
- US rank
- #42
- Syllables
- 3
- Peak
- #42 in 2025
4,836 babies were named Elena in the US in 2025. It has climbed 13 places in five years.
Found on lists
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US births per million girls, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Elena you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Elena
Elena Ferrante
Pseudonymous Italian writer
Choose Elena and your child shares a first name with Elena Ferrante, a pseudonymous Italian writer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Elena, like who?” Elena Ferrante's Wikipedia article is available in 51 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Elena Ferrante on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)- How commonAbout 1 in every 332 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Elena, 4,836 babies in all. In a school of 500 kids, there'd probably be one other Elena.
- HistoryElena has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Elenas, and counting.
- Best yearElena is at its all-time high right now: #42 in 2025.
- Then vs nowElena is 4.0× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 1,329 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 332.
- Where it's lovedElena is most popular in New Mexico, where it ranks #13, followed by Texas (#15) and Arizona (#20). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
- MeaningElena is a Spanish form of Helen, which means “possibly torch, light”.
About the name Elena
Elena is a girl name meaning “possibly torch, light”. It has 5 letters and 3 syllables, starting with E and ending in “-ena”. US birth records list Elena for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 144 of those 146 years. Its best year was 2025, when it ranked #42 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #42, with 4,836 babies.
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 54 | 18,443 girls |
| 1890s | 89 | 11,189 girls |
| 1900s | 127 | 7,857 girls |
| 1910s | 167 | 6,005 girls |
| 1920s | 182 | 5,501 girls |
| 1930s | 154 | 6,510 girls |
| 1940s | 155 | 6,461 girls |
| 1950s | 179 | 5,601 girls |
| 1960s | 263 | 3,804 girls |
| 1970s | 343 | 2,919 girls |
| 1980s | 367 | 2,727 girls |
| 1990s | 530 | 1,887 girls |
| 2000s | 848 | 1,179 girls |
| 2010s | 1,653 | 605 girls |
| 2020s | 2,693 | 371 girls |
Other spellings of Elena
Questions about the name Elena
What does the name Elena mean?
Elena means “possibly torch, light” in Spanish, as a form of Helen.
Is Elena a boy or girl name?
Elena is a girl name, though a few boys get it too.
How popular is the name Elena?
Elena ranked #42 for US girls in 2025, given to 4,836 babies. Its best year was 2025 (#42).