♀ Name Elena – Light & Bright

Origin:	Greek
Meaning:	light, bright, shining, beautiful, torch, moon
Girl namesGirl names with ENamesNames with E

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Elena is a variant of the name Helen that is of Greek origin and means “torch,” “light,” or “bright.”

What is the origin of the name Elena?

Elena is a Bulgarian, Rumanian, Russian, Italian, Greek, Spanish and Norwegian form of Helen. Helen itself is of Greek origin.

What does the name Elena mean?

Elena means “torch” (from ancient Greek “helénē/ἑλένη”) and “beautiful,” “light,” “bright,” and “shining” (from ancient Greek “hēlios/ἥλιος” = sun/sunlight/sunshine). The name is also derived from ancient Greek “selēnē/σελήνη,” meaning “moon.”

Word composition

• ancient Greek “ἑλένη” (helénē) = torch
• ancient Greek “ἥλιος” (hēlios) = sun, sunlight, sunshine
• ancient Greek “σελήνη” (selēnē) = moon

Elena, a name with international charm

Do you want your daughter to have the whole world open to her one day? Then a name that works well internationally is a great start for this wish. With meanings like “bright” and “shining,” the name also radiates positive energy. Since the name Elena has origins in Romanian, Italian, and Norwegian, among others, it is not easily tied to one specific nationality. Another advantage is the melodic sound of Elena and the possibility of using nicknames like Elly, Leni or Elle.

Middle names

As a suitable middle name you can take a fashion or a classic name, for example: Elena Sophie, Elena Madeleine, Elena Anouk, Elena Christina, Elena Mia or Elena Lilian.

Elena in fiction

• Elena Gilbert from the American TV series “The Vampire Diaries”.
• Elena of Avalor, the title heroine of the Disney animated series of the same name.

Pronunciation of Elena

Notable people with the name

• Elena Satine (born 1987) is a Georgian-American actress and was a child star in Georgia. Today, Elena can be seen in many movie and TV productions such as "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." or "Cowboy Bebop".
• Elena Jane Goulding (born 1986) is mostly known under her stage name Ellie Goulding. The British singer started her music career in 2010 with her debut album "Lights". Her songs were used in various soundtracks, for example the "Twilight" and the "Shades of Grey" movies.

Variants of the name Elena

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Author: Julia Raba

Last updated: 1/10/2025