Name meaning & stats
Elen
Elen means “torch, light (debated)” (Ancient Greek origin). 313 US babies since 1940, peak 2022. Notable Elens are 1.5× over-represented as footballers.
What it means
“torch, light (debated)”
Ancient GreekSpelling of Ellen
A medieval English form of Helen.
Ellen around the world
- Эллен · Russian
- Еллен · Ukrainian
- إلين · Arabic
- אֶלֶן · Hebrew
- エレン · Japanese
- 艾伦 · Chinese
- Ellina · Hungarian
- Ellene · Serbian
- Ellin · English
- Elen · Welsh
Famous Ellens
- Ellen Johnson Sirleaf · 24th president of Liberia
- Ellen DeGeneres · American comedian, television host, actress, and writer (born 1958)
- Ellen Burstyn · American actress
- Ellen G. White · American author, co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (1827–
Ellen’s name day
- May 21 · Norway
- August 18 · Sweden
In US birth records
Peak year: 2022
313 US babies were named Elen between 1940 and 2025.
Elen around the world
- Sweden: 28 babies since 1998, peak 2016, No. 1,631 in 2022
- England & Wales: 672 babies since 1996, peak 2000, No. 2,787 in 2025
- France: 665 babies since 1900, peak 1981, No. 3,142 in 2025
- Norway: 336 babies since 1945, peak 1995
From official birth registries. Sources are listed on About the data.
Where Elens end up
| Career | vs expected | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Footballer | 1.5× | Low · 6 people |
| Actor | 1.0× | Low · 4 people |
| Singer | 1.2× | Low · 3 people |
| Writer | 0.9× | Low · 2 people |
Among notable women who are footballers, Elens show up 1.5× as often as you'd expect from how common the name is.
Notable people of every nationality born 1940–2005 (Wikidata). Patterns, not destiny.
Other spellings
1 in 1195 Ellens spell it Elen
Names that sound the same, grouped by Heyotag. Share of US babies since 1940.
Name twins (peaked around 2022)