Elena
eh-LEH-nah
A classic name tied to brightness and, in many traditions, to Helen.
Meaning
In the excerpts, Elena is treated as a form of Helen/Helena rather than a separate name. The cited 19th-century sources gloss it as “light,” and one excerpt notes that Elena in Italy is another variety of Helena; another says Spanish Helen and Ellen are both represented by Elena. In short, its name-history is linked to the Greek Helena and the idea of brightness or light.
Origin
GreekItalianSpanishSlavicfeminine
Fun fact
One excerpt notes that Elena appears across several European language traditions, including Italian and Spanish, as a form related to Helen/Helena.