Elena
A form of Eleni
Helen, in English
Saints Constantine and Helen — honoured together as Equals-to-the-Apostles.
It keeps the same day as the name it comes from — everything below is that name’s.
Origin
The story of Eleni
Eleni keeps 21 May — Saints Constantine and Helen, honoured together by the Church as Equals-to-the-Apostles.
The name is old and its origin is uncertain — a point worth keeping honest rather than smoothing over. Ἑλένη is Ancient Greek, usually traced to the Indo-European root *swel- — “to shine, warm” — and originally, it seems, the name of a solar deity. But no derivation is settled, and we would rather say so.
“Of uncertain origin — from a root that means to shine.”
onomasti · EleniKey facts
Eleni at a glance
Variations
Forms & nicknames of the name
One name takes many forms — the formal, the everyday, the affectionate, and the spellings that travelled abroad. Each has its own page here, and all share the same day.
Greek forms
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Namesakes
Notable people named Eleni
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