Eleni

Eleni is a very common female Greek Name, popular both in Greece and Cyprus.

The name Eleni has a long and interesting history, as it dates back to the antiquity.

Eleni in Ancient Greece was a synonym of the “shining” and “glorious” woman. Perhaps this happened because Helen of Troy, the most famous Eleni in Ancient Greece,  was described by Homer as an amazingly beautiful and glorious woman.

eleni
Sound of name Eleni
: E-le’-ni

Nameday of Eleni: May 21st – along with Kostas, Konstantinos

Male Version of Name Eleni: N/A

Saint Helena – Origin of Name Eleni

Although the name Eleni comes from the ancient years, the Christians tend to associate names with their Saints.

Saint Eleni, or Helena as she is mostly known in English, was the mother of Konstantine the Great, the Emperor of Byzantine Empire.

Her full name was Flavia Iulia Helena Augusta, and she was consort of Emperor Constantius, although coming from a very poor family.

During the reign of her son, Eleni was living in obscurity, although her influence to Konstantine was immense. Eleni was Christian and she was the main responsible for the pro-Christian decisions of her son, who was a pagan.

She died in 330AD and her sarcophagus is believed to be on display at the Pio Clementine Museum of the Vatican. She was famous for her piety, thus she was proclaimed a Saint by the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches.

The memory Agia Eleni (Saint Eleni) is honored on May 21st, which is the nameday of Eleni and Konstantinos (her son).

Nicknames deriving from name Eleni

Eleni is, as well said a very common name, therefore there are several nicknames deriving from this name: Leni, Elli, Lena, Lenio, Lenaki, Elenaki, Elenitsa, Nitsa, Lina, Eleana, Lengo, Lenitsa.

The Names’ Fairy reveals the meaning of the name Eleni

The name Eleni reflects a strong and imposing woman, with strong personality and character. Eleni is a woman that always tries to look beautiful and attractive.

30 thoughts on “Eleni”

  1. I was born in Crete to Australian/ English parents hitchhiking their way across Europe, back in the day. They gave me the name Eleni which I love especially knowing it means Light. Despite people’s sometimes difficulty with the pronunciation, I would not change it for the world. Funnily, here in Melbourne where there are many Greeks, they try to “correct” me by calling me Helen. I say NO, it’s Eleni!

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  2. My name is Eleni.
    I am from a tiny Island called Mauritius 🇲🇺.
    In my island my name is a very rare one. So everyone who hears my name can guess it is me. I have not met another girl whose name is also Eleni till now.
    I love my name, because as I already said, it is a very rare name in my island, I love rare things. I also love Greek mythology and since it is a Greek name it makes me love my name much more. Eleni is not just a name, but it has a strong meaning and it has a beautiful history.

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  3. My name is Eleni . I hated it as a child because my teachers always mispronounced it . Now I love it
    because it is so pretty and unusual . I am not embarrassed to correct people now .

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  4. My name is Eleni, I was born in Greece but my family is actually from Bulgaria and I am very happy to be named after my grandmother.

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  5. We named our daughter Eleni although we have no Greek in our families. I hope this is ok… I just love the name so much and I love the meaning.
    I’m worried she will have difficulties in the future with people pronouncing it, although I have a feeling she will be known as Leni.
    I just think it’s such a beautiful name

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  6. I named my daughter Eleni. My husband is Greek. I love how the name is different, full of culture and history, and so personal to us as it was his grandmother’s name. We also call her Len or Leni as a nickname.

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  7. My name is Eleni and I love it. Not many People I’ve worked with over the years have gotten it correct. I get Eli, Elany, Elini, Elena. It’s so funny. I just answer to all off them. At the beginning people can’t remember what Im called, they take a while. Makes my life interesting trying to get people to pronounce it correctly.

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  8. My name is Eleni and I’m Greek. The most common “translation” for Eleni is Helen, and until I was about 17 years old, I went by Helen because one of my aunts translated my name when I started school. When I was 17, I changed schools and changed my name back to Eleni. I love my name. It’s different in a world of Jessica’s and Megan and Melissa’s. People have pronounced it a variety of ways — Ahlany, Ahleny, Elena, etc. I always tell them, “There’s NO “A” in my name”. And if I really want them to understand the correct pronunciation, I tell them “It’s like saying the letters L-N-E out loud, with the stress on the N..

    El-ENN-ee. That usually works.

    I tried this with one kooky neighbour and she got the letters mixed up: N-L-E, and she ended up calling me Ehnelly for the next two years until she finally moved! *LOL*

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  9. This is so cool people named eleni commenting about their names. alot of people pronounce my name differently but i still love my name. i also love the country greece along with my one country
    p.s i come from ethiopia but like anyone cares

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  10. I named my daughter Eleni, after my greek grandmother’s sister, as I was given the english version of her name, i reverted it back to the greek for my daughter hence both Helen’s essentially and as the name suggests she is beautiful!! and yes it is very annoying when people can’t pronounce it!! but wouldn’t change it for the world!!
    Just feel sorry for her whenever we go anywhere that sells stuff with names on and she starts looking for her name…… never gonna find it in UK lol!!

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  11. OH MY GOD!
    my parents also named me after the same movie. =) i have been curious abt the movie, supposedly it was that good that could make couples named their baby after the main character. haha =)

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  12. i love my name but i really don’t understand how people can mispronounce it! its e-len-i! but whatever i dont let it bother me – i answer to elaine-y and even el-lon-y just as quickly (:

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  13. All this comments are very funny for me because i am from greece. Here in greece this name is very common, everyone knows at least 10 girls that their name is Eleni.

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  14. My name is Elany, its the same but my parents just chose to spell it different. And i love how unique it is and that not everyone is going to have it. I am greatful to have this name.

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  15. I read the book Eleni before I had my babies.my daughter had to be named after this faithful and stubborn, strong woman.I had a son and named him Ramon meaning wise protector, then my daughter who is Eleni.I am Australian so I pronounced “LNE”. I felt silly when I heard the correct way of saying the name however love the comments I have from people and I still sometimes explain how I stumbled across this heart wrenching true story and had to name my baby girl after her.also end of book shows tender mercy which is profound.then I found out as a Christian many years later that Eleni means light and my Eleni certainly walks in Jesus Light . A real blessing that God lead me to this name.

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  16. My family immigrated from Greece, so let me say even though name Eleni is very uncommon here in America, it is very popular in Greece.
    I was named after my grandmother who died of cancer around the time I was born, so to those of you who don’t like your name because people pronounce it wrong, I feel very personally offended. Plus, if your parents named you Eleni, and you are not Greek, of course your name will probably be pronounced wrong.
    My family tree goes back to an Emperor of the Byzantine Empire, and I feel very attached to Greece so my apologies if I have, in turn offended anyone.

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  17. I named my daughter “Eleni” after seeing the movie Eleni, who was a real person in Greece and who fought to keep her children alive and free during the Greek civil war. Funny, when my Eleni was only a year and a half we met a lady at Stanford Univ. who told us she grew up in Mass. in the neighborhood of Eleni’s 5 children (from the movie)! Small world!
    Beautiful namesake, and an amazing woman-mother in the story, Eleni. We found the book Eleni after the one from the movie too. Check it out!

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  18. My name is Eleni and even though
    people always spell or say it wrong I
    like it because I’d rather not have
    a name that everyone has like Jessica which was popular in the year I was born.
    I was named after Eleni Gatzoyiannis from the 1985 film Eleni. I am proud of my namesake.

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  19. My name is Eleni and I am named after my Grandmother who I was told was an extrodinary woman. I am very proud of this history that my name bears.

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  20. My name is Eleni and I love it. I think it is sooo funny the way people pronounce and spell it. My name keeps an ongoing conversation and fun arguments between friends on the ways it is pronounced. The name really describes me. I soooo love it.

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  21. Eleni is my daughter’s name and we plan to celebrate on the 21st even though we are not in Greece! The name fits her and her grandmother perfectly!

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