Eleanor
Girl name · #12 in 2025 · Very well-known
In 2025, 7,649 baby girls were named Eleanor, placing it at #12 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #60, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 235 girls born in 2025 was named Eleanor.
The 145-year story
Eleanor first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 129 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1920, when 8,497 girls were named Eleanor — good for #25 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Eleanor per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Eleanor against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Eleanor in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Eleanor is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Eleanor is most common
Geography matters for names, and Eleanor is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Eleanor is most common in VT (27 per 1,000), WY (17 per 1,000), DC (15 per 1,000), ME (14 per 1,000), AK (14 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 5.9 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Eleanor is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Eleanor
Eleanor carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the Eleanor family went to about 19,784 girls in 2025 — together they'd rank around #1, versus #12 for Eleanor alone.
Names like Eleanor
Statistically, parents drawn to Eleanor tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Evelyn, Hazel, Eliana, Josephine, and Harper.
EvelynHazelElianaJosephineHarperVioletEstherAurora
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Eleanor | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7,649 | #12 |
| 2024 | 7,147 | #14 |
| 2023 | 6,765 | #14 |
| 2022 | 6,927 | #16 |
| 2021 | 7,099 | #15 |
| 2020 | 6,379 | #22 |
| 2019 | 6,198 | #27 |
| 2018 | 5,728 | #32 |
| 2017 | 5,549 | #36 |
| 2016 | 5,140 | #41 |
| 2015 | 4,442 | #60 |
| 2014 | 3,740 | #78 |
| 2013 | 3,013 | #106 |
| 2012 | 2,383 | #134 |
| 2011 | 2,085 | #150 |
| 2010 | 1,851 | #166 |
| 2009 | 1,486 | #218 |
| 2008 | 1,343 | #255 |
| 2007 | 1,272 | #266 |
| 2006 | 1,221 | #269 |
| 2005 | 1,237 | #264 |
| 2004 | 1,063 | #301 |
| 2003 | 1,007 | #308 |
| 2002 | 961 | #319 |
| 2001 | 826 | #359 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Eleanor a popular girl name?
Eleanor ranked #12 among girls in 2025 with 7,649 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #60.
When was the name Eleanor most popular?
Eleanor peaked in 1920, when 8,497 American girls received the name (ranked #25 that year). Since 1920 the name has recovered some ground.
How rare is the name Eleanor?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 235 newborn American girls was named Eleanor. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very well-known".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.