The story behind Elena
Borrowed from Italian and Spanish Elena, cognate to English Helen.
Other language forms and explanations (4)
Finnish entry
Variant of Helena, possibly from Italian Elena and/or Spanish Elena.
German entry
From Italian and Spanish Elena.
Italian entry
From Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē).
Tagalog entry
Borrowed from Spanish Elena.
Pronunciation
US English (ARPAbet): EH1 L AH0 N AA0 / EH2 L EY1 N AA0
Regional pronunciation variants
- Finnish: /ˈelenɑ/
- Finnish: [ˈe̞le̞nɑ̝]
- German: /ˈɛlena/
- Italian: /ˈɛ.le.na/
- Tagalog; Standard-Tagalog: /ʔeˈlena/
- Tagalog; Standard-Tagalog: [ʔɛˈlɛː.n̪ɐ]
This is a US English dictionary reading of the spelling; personal pronunciations may differ. Digits mark stress: 0 is unstressed, 1 is primary, 2 is secondary. Pronunciation source and notation.
Popularity
Elena ranked #42 in US for 2025.
Source: SSA national baby names
Names Similar to Elena
Elaina
A female given name from Ancient Greek, of modern usage, variant of Elaine.
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- same syllable count
- similar length
Electra
From Ancient Greek Ἠλέκτρα (Ēléktra), from ἤλεκτρον (ḗlektron, “amber”), related to ἠλέκτωρ (ēléktōr, “shining sun”).
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- same syllable count
- similar length
Elettra
From Ancient Greek ἤλεκτρον (ḗlektron, “amber”).
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- same syllable count
- similar length
Elia
From Biblical Hebrew אליהו ('Eliyáhu, literally “Yahweh is my god”). Inherited from Latin Ēliās, with Greek accentation. Inherited from Latin or Borrowed from Latin Hēlia,…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- same syllable count
- similar length
Elissa
Borrowed from Ancient Greek Ἔλῐσσᾰ (Élĭssă); probably from Phoenician 𐤀𐤋𐤀𐤎𐤕 (ʾlʾst /Elishat/), 𐤀𐤋𐤀𐤎 (ʾlʾs /Elisha/).
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- same syllable count
- similar length
Elviira
From Spanish Elvira, Italian Elvira.
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- same syllable count
- similar length
Middle Names for Elena
Bairbre
From Latin Barbara (name of a legendary saint), feminine form of barbarus, from Ancient Greek βάρβαρος (bárbaros, “strange, foreign”). Cognate with Scottish Gaelic Barabal and…
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends E
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Baldomero
Borrowed from Spanish Baldomero.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 4 syllables
- Ending
- ends O
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Basile
Semi-learned borrowing from Latin Basilius, from Ancient Greek Βασίλειος (Basíleios).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends E
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Sibling Names for Elena
Aaron
From Latin Aaron, from Ancient Greek Ἀαρών (Aarṓn), from Hebrew אַהֲרֹן (ʾAhărōn), of unknown meaning, possibly meaning “bearer of martyrs”, or perhaps also, or instead,…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends N
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length
Aarón
a male given name from Latin [in turn from Ancient Greek, in turn from Hebrew], equivalent to English Aaron
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends N
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length
Abdiasz
Learned borrowing from Latin Abdias, from Ancient Greek Ἀβδίας (Abdías), from Hebrew עובדיה.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends Z
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length