At a Glance: Name: Elinor – Meaning: a form of Eleanor, most plausibly meaning 'the other Aenor' (rather than literally 'shining light') – Origin: Old French/Old Occitan (variant of Eleanor) – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: EL-in-or
Elinor is an Old French/Old Occitan (variant of Eleanor) girl's name meaning “a form of Eleanor, most plausibly meaning 'the other Aenor' (rather than literally 'shining light')”. It appears in 7 of our baby name lists.
Meaning & Origin of Elinor
Meaning: A form of Eleanor, most plausibly meaning 'the other Aenor' (rather than literally 'shining light').
Origin: Old French/Old Occitan (variant of Eleanor).
A common claim: Means 'bright, shining light' Actually: 'Bright, shining light' comes from popularly linking Eleanor/Elinor to the Greek name Helen, but the more specific historical account traces Eleanor to Old Occitan Alienor, usually explained as 'the other Aenor' rather than a direct 'light' meaning.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Elinor
Phonetic: EL-in-or IPA: /ˈɛl.ɪ.nɔːr/
Popularity of Elinor
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
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