Eleanor
Arrived in England with Eleanor of Aquitaine in the twelfth century, from the Old French Alienor. Its earlier source is disputed, with Occitan and Germanic explanations both proposed.
Eleanor in 2025
Eleanor was given to 7,654 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 36th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 433 babies born.
The history of Eleanor
Eleanor reached its highest point in 1920, when 8,507 babies were given the name, ranking 48th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 36th, in 2025.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 337,323 babies have been named Eleanor. Half of them were born before 1934, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Eleanor by decade
| Decade | Babies named Eleanor | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,136 | 180 |
| 1890s | 4,754 | 130 |
| 1900s | 10,044 | 77 |
| 1910s | 54,258 | 48 |
| 1920s | 74,964 | 48 |
| 1930s | 46,572 | 73 |
| 1940s | 23,837 | 129 |
| 1950s | 11,072 | 371 |
| 1960s | 5,938 | 602 |
| 1970s | 2,750 | 941 |
| 1980s | 2,796 | 1,093 |
| 1990s | 4,871 | 741 |
| 2000s | 11,192 | 458 |
| 2010s | 40,141 | 82 |
| 2020s | 41,998 | 36 |
Where Eleanor is heading
Eleanor has risen 72% over the past decade, from 4,442 babies in 2015 to 7,654 in 2025.
Names like Eleanor
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Eleanor.