Comments for the name Eleanor

Another version of this name is Elanor. This can be taken as a form of Eleanor, or by its Quenya meaning, 'sun-star'. In JRR Tolkien's novel 'The Lord of the Rings' Elanor is the name of both a golden five-pointed flower that grows in the woods of Lothlorien and of Samwise and Rose Gamgee's eldest daughter due to her blonde hair.

Elanor (el: star, and anor: sun) comes from Quenya, but that's just in Tolkien's books.

Eleanor is the name of the woman from The Beatles' song "Eleanor Rigby".

The most recent usage in the Hollywood world that I can think of is in the film "Gone In 60 Seconds". Nicholas Cage's character Randel Reynes calls 50 cars he has to steal in one night by ladies names. ELEANOR is the codename for a Shelby Mustang GT 500 which is by far one of the most beautiful and elegant cars ever created.

Eleanor of Aquitaine was named such after her mother, Aenor. Her name breaks down as "alia-aenor," literally "the other Aenor."

Eleanor of Aquitaine's name (in the form Alienor) comes from the compound of her mother's name Aenor and the Latin(?) prefix 'alia' meaning 'other'. Essentially her name meant 'the other Aenor'.

Another theory on the origin of the name, in the context of Eleanor of Aquitaine, is that her name came from a corruption of the Old French ALIA - AENOR, meaning 'the daughter of Aenor'. [noted -ed]

Ellenor Frutt was a character on the T.V. show "The Practice." She was played by Camryn Manheim. On a side note, I prefer the spelling "Ellenor" to "Eleanor."

Eleanor is a lovely name, it is so pretty.

I read that Eleanor comes from Greek origin and means "shining light."

This name was borne by American silent movie actress Eleanor Boardman (1898-1991), who was Mrs. King Vidor. Her husband directed her in her most famous film, "The Crowd" (1928).

This is a pretty name but it's spelt wrong. It says Elly-a-nore. Yuck!

A famous bearer is First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

On Degrassi the Next Generation there is a character named Eleanor Nash. She is also called Ellie.

In Gail Carson Levine's 'Ella Enchanted' the first name of Ella is actually Eleanor, and her father calls her that sometimes. It was also the name of her mother.

Eleanor is one of my favorite names. It's one of those names that sounds good on little girls and adults.

One of my favourites, after Flora.

It's my name and I like it. I'm the only Eleanor I know who gets called Nor. But Ellie's my favourite.

There is also Elinor Dashwood from Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility.

At the moment Eleanor is my favourite girl's name. I think Ellie is a cute shortened form of Eleanor, especially with Mai as the middle name.

No offense but I just don't like the sound of this name.

Eleanor Tilney is the sister of hero Henry Tilney in authoress Jane Austen's novel 'Northanger Abbey'(1817). Eleanor Tilney is presented as an idealized young woman, sweet and the best friend heroine Catherine Morland can ever have.

This name has many strong associations, as well as good nickname possibilites, for those who are so inclined. Probably my second favorite female name at the moment.

Unique name. Not very many people I know bear it. I like the nickname Ellie better than Nor, though.

It works great for someone of any age. She could be called Elly or Elle when she's younger and then be called Eleanor when she's older.

I thought the name Eleanor came from the name Helen, which means 'bright light' or 'shining one'?

I like Elinor much more than this spelling.

I think this name sounds a bit old and too serious, but still has some kind of charm to it. I prefer the spelling Elynor or Elinor, though. They seem prettier to me.

This is one of my favourite names at the moment. The full "Eleanor" is a good, serious name for a woman to have, yet it can be shortened to Ellie, Ella etc. Probably my second favourite name right now.

I think that Eleanor is a nice classic name with very cute nicknames like Lenore and Nellie. I give this name a well-deserved 9 stars!

I personally love the name Eleanor, it is so distinguished. I like this spelling more, it looks stronger to me. There are so many nicknames that can be taken from this nickname, so you have diverse options. One of my friend's name is Eleanor and she really likes it. It is a roughly unique name and I hope it stays that way.

For me, personally, the impression this name gives me is one of a girl who is joyful and optimistic all the time.

Elinor, Alanor, means god's light in Hebrew and Arabic, or possibly 'god is my light'.
eli- of god, noor/nur/nor - light/lamp

I really like this name. It's very classic, yet sweet and light and very fresh sounding. In my opinion it's far better sounding than "Ellen" (for short).

This is my name. Athough I usually go by Ellie, when people first meet me, they sometimes address me as Eleanor. However, some people will pronounce it as though it were spelled Eleaner, which I think is really ugly! Please pronounce this name the correct way!

Where pronunciation is concerned, I personally agree with Ms Eleanor (dogstar21). Pronounce the last syllable of this name as "-er" instead of "-or" and the elegance that goes with this name is destroyed point-blank.

Aside from elegance, the impression I get of this name is that it fits a pleasantly sprightly girl.

I've known two eccentrically pronounced 'Eleanors': Eleonor pronounced eh-LEE-a-nor and an Alieanor ahl-ya-AH-nor.

In England, it is not usually pronounced El-en-or, but El-en-er. I know, because it's my name, and no one - ever - pronounces is El-en-or. I think El-en-or is a more American pronunciation, and personally, I prefer the one I'm used to.

The name Eleanor to me sounds lovely, but it has an older, geriatric connotation. There are quite a few 80 year old Eleanors and considerably less hot young twenty something Eleanors. Regardless I like this name because of its connotation with good music. The Beatles have a song entitled "Eleanor Rigby", Franz Ferdinand has a song "Eleanor Put Your Boots On" and JET has a song called simply, "Eleanor". It seems to be a favorite amongst great musicians and for that reason I like it quite a bit.

The name is quite pretty, but it sounds like a grandmother name, and I would think that people with a daughter named Eleanor today are quite snobby, as the name has a bit of an elitist sound to it.

"Eleanor, Put Your Boots On" is a song from the Glaswegian band Franz Ferdinand's second album, You Could Have It So Much Better. This song is a fine demonstration of the musicality and elegance of the name Eleanor.

Eleanor Friedberger is half of the Fiery Furnaces.

Eleanor is the name of the daughter of King John and Isabella of Angouleme and sister of King Henry III, Eleanor was married to Simon De Montfort, 6th earl of Leicester in 1238.

This is the name of a very important character in Libba Bray's "Rebel Angels". Great book. It is the second in the "Great and Terrible Beauty" series. Fantastic! But she goes by the nickname of "Nell". Nell in the book is a slightly insane girl who is housed at the place where Gemma's (the main character) brother works.

It reminds me of a very elegant, classy and intelligent woman. I however know an Eleanor who is quite the tomboy, so there you go.

My sister's name is Eleanor, and I think it's an okay name, but we pronounce it ellen-uh, rather than with the influence on the "nor" suffix. I think that the pronunciation "elean-or" is more of an American thing.

In Britain it is pronounced EL-en-uh or EL-en-er. The 'NOR' part is not made at all unlike the American pronunciation.

The lead singer of the La Roux is named Eleanor, and she goes by Elly.

My sister's name is Eleanor and we always pronounce it like "elean-OR". Without this "or" the name goes lame.

Eleanor is the new Emily.

Eleanor Arroway is the name of the heroine in Carl Sagan's novel "Contact" (and in the movie version of the book). She is an astronomer who discovers an alien radio signal. Most people call her Ellie, and she is played by Jodie Foster. Personally, I love the book, but I am not as fond of the film.

There was actually an earlier example than Eleanor of Aquitaine of a person bearing this name: Eleanor of Normandy, daughter of Richard II of Normandy. She was born between 1011 and 1013 and died after 1071. I guess that kills the "other Aenor" etymology. Sorry.

It's nice, but I can never remember how to spell it.

Eleanor is my daughter's name. Obviously I love this name or wouldn't've stuck it on my child. I prefer having the "-nor" pronounced in that fashion (she has a great grandmother who constantly wants to call her "ElenER"). The British pronunciation of "-nuh" wouldn't bother me either though.

Potential word of caution for those considering naming a daughter this: If you really like the shortening "Ella" - make sure it sticks and no one calls your daughter "Ellie"! I'm sure the advice is relevant the other way around too. My daughter goes by "Ellie" (because other family members called her that... I preferred Ella... but whatever, Ellie isn't terrible, though it reminds me of a cow's name) and is under the impression currently (she is 3) that her name is pronounced "Ellie-nor". Mildly amusing - I continuously reinforce "Eleanor" to her - I hope she realizes that Eleanor is her name and not "Ellie-nor".

Oh, and to the person who commented that this is a stuck-up upper-class name... not necessarily. I am neither and as a consequence my Eleanor is obviously not upper-class. Nor is she stuck up, as it is difficult to classify a preschooler as stuck-up.

Of course it's connotations of being upper class, intelligent, refined and elegant are part of the point in naming a child, are they not? Give the child a name that will assist him/her in adulthood and forebode success.

I LOVE this name. :)

This name is commonly thought to mean "torch" or "shining light".

I love the name Eleanor. It has such a soft, warm feel to it. It's very beautiful. I also love the nickname Ellie for it.

I personally think Eleanor is a lovely name. It has a bit of an elegant old-world feel to it, but is still very suited for this day and age.
However. I much prefer it pronounced as "Ehl-Eh-Nohr," instead of the ghastly "Ehl-Eh-Nuh," "Ehl-Eh-Ner." I am positive that many, if not all, have met certain people who voice "Buffalo" as "BuffaLER," "BuffaLUH." And to be quite blunt: it is horrid. It sounds very uneducated, very unsophisticated. A thief of an otherwise gorgeous, splendid, and sensational name.

Consider your pronunciation... I implore you with all my heart.
Let your child be proud of her name.

Eleanor reminds me on an old woman who sits around drinking tea all day. Way too old fashioned for me.

Sure, it's pretty and dignified, but it's long and dull and reminds me of hypochondriac old women. I don't like the spelling of it, but besides Elinor (which is like eye cancer) I can't think of any other ways to spell it. The only plus of this name is the nickname Nell/y.
Funnily enough, I love the name Lenore.

Eleanor Rigby, of course! One of the best songs by The Beatles and many artists.

This is my first new niece's name! Eleanor Lily, sounds like the name of a princess. Love it!

I like this name. The only problem is the Beatles song Eleanor Rigby. The song is pretty and we sing it a lot which makes it unusable for me. I wouldn't want my daugher to be one of the "lonely people". The tragic nature of the beautiful song would bother me. But I wouldn't mind hearing someone else named this.

This is one of my top girl names right now, paired with the middle name Sophia. It sounds elegant and timeless, and has the cute nickname Ella (or Ellie, or Nell, but I prefer Ella.) Eleanor of Aquitaine and Eleanor Roosevelt were strong women and excellent namesakes. This name has it all.

Beautiful, classy name. The nicknames Ellie and Nora are nice too.

I'm English and live in the North West. My friend's name is Eleanor. She pronounces it 'ell-eh-nor' NOT 'ell-en-a' as do all her family and friends. I don't understand how Eleanor even remotely looks like it should be pronounced like Elena... O_o.

Eleanor of England (1162-1214) was the daughter of Henry II of England and his wife Eleonore of Aquitaine. She was named after her mother. She later married Alfonso VIII of Castile and had 11 children with him.

Eleanor of England (1215-1275) was the youngest child of King John "Lackland" and his wife Isabelle.

Eleanor of England was the oldest daughter of Edward II of England and his wife Isabelle of France.

Eleanor was the third daughter of King Edward I of England and his wife Eleanor of Castile.

Eleanor was the only daughter of King Edward I of England and his second wife Margaret of France.

I like this name a lot, it sounds very elegant, warm and makes me think of someone who is gentle, compassionate and also as beautiful as her name itself, I think I will use it on one of my own kids in the future. Also I have my own view on how to pronounce this name, I like to say it El-lay-nohr like Elena and Eleanor combined.

I used to not really have an opinion about this name. It made me think of older women (which isn't necessarily a bad thing) but it just never struck me as youthful. Now, for me anyway, it does seem like a name that could fit every kind of woman (young or old!) It's a unusual name in my opinion, because while it is does seem classical and simple, there is also something about that is exotic and deep at the same time. I love the name and would recommend it for any little girl. It's a great refreshing choice in a world full of little Madisons, Emilys, Sarahs, and Emmas!

Eleanor Logan (born 1987 in Portland, Maine) is an American rower and Olympic gold medalist.

I really don't like this name, sorry. It sounds unfeminine and quite harsh. Not a fan.

I adore the nickname Ellie! Not Elly or Ellee or Elli but, ELLIE.

Unfeminine and harsh?I don't see how.

Name of the Day: March 2, 2013.