Eleanor at a glance
- Meaning
- “uncertain, often linked with light”
- Gender
- Girl
- Origin
- French
- Pronunciation
- EL-uh-nor
- Nicknames
- Ellie, Nora, Nell
- Other forms
- Elinor, Eleonora, Leonor, Aliénor
Where the name Eleanor comes from
Eleanor comes from Aliénor, an old name from the south of France whose origin is uncertain; it is often linked with Helen and with light, but this may not be correct. Eleanor of Aquitaine brought the name to England in the 12th century when she married King Henry II, and later Edward I married Eleanor of Castile. It is very popular again in the US and UK in the 2020s.
Famous people named Eleanor
- Eleanor Roosevelt (US First Lady)