Eleanor is a distinctive boys' name in United States, ranking #11254 in 2022 with 6 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2024 with 10 births ranking #7884. In 2022, approximately 1 in every 290,729 boys born was named Eleanor. FALLING Recent data shows the name is currently falling.
Eleanor is a major classic with a very strong historical route but an uncertain earliest literal meaning. The safest accurate description is to focus on its medieval Occitan and Old French history rather than repeat unsupported 'light' glosses.
Behind the Name traces Eleanor to the Old French form of Occitan Alienor and notes the importance of Eleanor of Aquitaine in spreading it. That makes the history secure, even though the oldest underlying explanation is still debated.