Elinor is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Elinor means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Elinor across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Elinor has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Elinor is a girl name of Greek origin meaning “torch, light”. A variant spelling of Eleanor.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 21,640 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,570 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 108 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 3 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 3 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Elinor per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1920 (656/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (136/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1980 (11/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1995 (3/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2004 (3/yr).
Elinor has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1920, when it ranked #456 nationally (given to 656 babies that year).
Eleanor · Eleanore · Elnora · Elenora · Elinore · Elenore · Eleanora · Elenor
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