Eleanor has a somewhat regal reputation, being the name of popular, eminent figures, such as Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine and Eleanor Roosevelt, longest-serving first lady of the United States. Eleanor of Aquitaine, queen of both France and England, features in Robin Hood legends, historical fiction, films, and even video games. Nevertheless, despite its popularity, the origins of the name are not certain. Let’s try to unravel what this name means, shall we?
Origin and Meaning of the Name
The name Eleanor became famous after Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204), wife to King Louis VII of France and King Henry II of England. Her great-granddaughter, Eleanor of Castile was the wife of King Edward I of England. Eleanor of Aquitaine’s name at birth was Aenor after her mother, but she was called alia Aenor, "the other Aenor" in Provençal, in order not to confuse her with her mother. Ænor is a Provençal name, which is probably a Latinized form of some Germanic name. The claim that it derives from Provençal lenire "to heal, to soften" is not very likely[1].
Throughout the ages, the name Eleanor has often been seen as a variant of Helen, derived either from Greek ‘ελενη (helene) "torch, light". Helene was also the Greek word for “St Elmo’s fire”. Other Greek origin possibilities include Greek words σεληνη (selene) "moon" or Greek helios “sun, ray of the sun”. Some trace the name to the Greek eleos “compassion, mercy”.
When the name is used in modern or non-European context, there are other possibilities. Some sources derive the name from the modern Hebrew name Ellinor, meaning “God is my light”. It also means “God is my light” in Arabic, from Arabic “Aḷḷāhu nūrī/أَلْلّٰهُ نُورِي”, but Alinur is a male name in Arabic.
History
Currently, Eleanor is much more popular in
the US than in the UK. While in 2008, the name was on the 256th place by
popularity in the United States, last year Eleanor has become the 16th
most popular name for newborn girls in the US, and the 55th name by
popularity in the UK (where its position has been stable).
The name has been introduced in Russia from the Italian language after 1917. During the first years after the revolution, many European names were introduced in order to replace Orthodox, “Tsarist” names.
Literary Fame
The name and its variants were highly
favored in literature, most famous perhaps as the name of Edgar Allan Poe’s
Lenore in a poem of the same name; it’s also the name of the protagonist’s lost
love in Poe’s poem “The Raven” (1845).
Elinor (a variant of Eleanor dating back to the 17th century) is the name of the main character in Jane Austen’s "Sense and Sensibility". Another famous Elinor is Little Nell in Dickens’ "Great Expectations"; her full name was Elinor in the novel.
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Leonora, probably a Spanish variant of Eleanor, was revived in Europe by George Gordon, Lord Byron and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Both men were inspired by the love of Italian poet Torquato Tasso (1544-1594) for Leonora d’ Este. Goethe composed "Torquato Tasso", and Byron – his "Lament of Tasso". The name Leonora also appears in Gaetano Donizetti’s opera "La Favorita" (1840) and William Henry Fry’s opera "Leonora" (1845).
Hellenore was a character in Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene" (1590). Hellenore is the beautiful younger wife of Malbecco, an old miser. Hellenore's name is very likely an elaborated form of Helen; the text even implies that Hellenore is inspired by the beautiful femme fatale of antiquity, Helen of Troy.
Bibliography
Behind the Name, https://www.behindthename.com/name/eleanor/top
Eleanor of Aquitaine. 1968. Regine Pernoud, available at https://www.amazon.com/Eleanor-Aquitaine-Re%CC%81gine-Pernoud/dp/B0006BUGVG
[1] Dictionnaire provençal-français. 1847. Simon Jude Honnorat, Page 520. https://books.google.bg/books?id=2nkNAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA520&lpg=PA520&dq=lenire+in+provencal&source=bl&ots=3DcyVI1zBD&sig=ACfU3U3S-AFwU_he0s6rL3wwzLrcs3bV5g&hl=bg&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjJmJH5nfr-AhXVS_EDHXsiCHIQ6AF6BAg4EAM#v=onepage&q=lenire%20in%20provencal&f=false
