Elinor
A girls’ name of Old French origin, meaning bright light; a form of Eleanor.
Elinor by the numbers
In 2025, 27 babies in England and Wales were named Elinor. In the US, 161 were, though that figure is from 2017, the most recent full year we hold.
It is used at about the same rate on both sides of the Atlantic.
Its American peak was 656 babies in 1920, so it is a 1920s name that has since fallen a long way.
Other names that come from Eleanor
Like Elinor, each of these traces back to Eleanor: a form of it, a name built from it, or a son or daughter of it. Not always the same sex.
- Elleshe; a form of Eleanor or Ellen828 in the US (2017)
- Eleanorabright light or sun ray; a form of Eleanor42 in England and Wales (2025)
- Ellybright one; a form of Eleanor144 in the US (2017)
- Nellybright light; diminutive of Eleanor121 in England and Wales (2025)
- Ellisun; a diminutive of Helen or Eleanor74 in the US (2017)
- Leonoralight, torch; a form of Eleanor71 in England and Wales (2025)
- Elleeshining light; a respelling of Ellie or Eleanor68 in the US (2017)
- Leonorbright light; a form of Eleanor28 in England and Wales (2025)
Spelled almost the same
Other names in the records within a letter or two of Elinor. Close spellings are not always related names, but they are usually worth seeing together.
- Elanorshining light; a modern respelling of Eleanor13 in England and Wales (2025)
- Ellinorbright torch; a form of Eleanor31 in the US (2017)
- Elenorbright light; a form of Eleanor16 in the US (2017)
- Elinorebright light; a form of Eleanor16 in the US (2017)
- Elinorabright light; a form of Eleanor5 in the US (2017)
- Elynor6 in the US (2017)
Sounds like Elinor
Names that are said the same way as Elinor, however they are written. Sounding alike does not mean they share a history.
- Eleanorshining light5,519 in the US (2017)
- Eleanorebright light; a form of Eleanor99 in the US (2017)
- Elleanorbright light; a form of Eleanor30 in the US (2017)
- Ellanorebright light; a variant of Eleanor21 in the US (2017)
- Elenorebright light or torch; form of eleanor20 in the US (2017)
- Ellenorbright light; a form of Eleanor3 in England and Wales (2025)
Other names that mean light
Like Elinor, each of these has light in its meaning. Different names, different histories, the same idea.
Names about as common as Elinor
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