This post contains affiliate links.
At a Glance
- Meaning
- She/her (French); also short form of El- names
- Origin
- French
- Gender
- Girl
- Pronunciation
- EL
Elle is a French name for girls, pronounced simply EL, that also works as a short form of El- names like Eleanor or Elizabeth. In French, elle just means 'she' or 'her' — despite claims you might see elsewhere that it means 'God' or 'shining light,' there's no real basis for those extra meanings. It's a classic, globally familiar pick that's been on the SSA list since 1977.
Meaning & Origin of Elle
Meaning: She/her (French); also short form of El- names.
Origin: French.
A common claim: 'She' — sometimes elaborated as 'she who is God' or 'shining light' Actually: Elle most reliably just means 'she/her' in French, or acts as a short form of El- names like Eleanor or Elizabeth; there's no solid basis for extra glosses like 'God' or 'light.'
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Elle
ELIPA /ˈɛl/
Popularity of Elle
Elle peaked at #355 in 2019 with 890 babies given the name, and has since eased to #479 in 2024 with 642.
Names Like Elle
These names share Elle’s style, era or origin.
FAQ
What does the name Elle mean?
She/her (French); also short form of El- names. (Source: Wiktionary)
How do you pronounce Elle?
Elle is pronounced EL (IPA: /ˈɛl/).
Is Elle a popular name right now?
Elle peaked at #355 in 2019 and is ranked #479 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1977–2024.)
Make Elle Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Elle, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
📊 How popular is Elle? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
🎲 Think you know your baby names? Take the quiz!
📱 The Baby Names app is here
Swipe names, match with your partner the moment you both say yes, and claim a free Name Art print of your winner. Free to download. See all our apps →
