Eleanor is a popular girls' name in England & Wales, ranking #56 in 2025 with 776 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 1997 with 2,747 births ranking #20. Since 1996, the popularity has decreased by 69.6%. In 2025, approximately 1 in every 326 girls born was named Eleanor. STABLE Recent data shows the name is currently stable.
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.