Eleanor
Encyclopedia
Eleanor is a female given name
.
The first verified bearer of the name was Eleanor of Aquitaine
. She was called Aliénor, which became "Eléanor" in the northern Langue d'oïl
and in English
. The meaning of the name Aliénor is not surely known, maybe coming from Latin lenire ("to heal"), or the Germanic name Aldenor, which could mean "old north". In English the name is sometimes connected to Elena
, Ellen
or Elaine
(Helen
, Helene
) as well. It could be connected to the Greek
eleos ("compassion") as well.
There may be an earlier Eleanor on record. Eleanor of Normandy lived a century earlier than Eleanor of Aquitaine. However, primary sources that identify her name as Eleanor have not been found.
Cognates of the name in different languages include Leonor (le.o.ˈnoɾ)(Spanish and Portuguese), Eléonore (French), Eleonora (Italian), Leonora
or Leonore
(German), and Lenore. The similar Hebrew name Elior means "God is light". The similar-sounding Arabic
Allahu Nuri also means "God
is my light"; the modern version is Nurullah (Noorullah) ("light of God").
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
.
The first verified bearer of the name was Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. As well as being Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, she was queen consort of France and of England...
. She was called Aliénor, which became "Eléanor" in the northern Langue d'oïl
Langues d'oïl
The langues d'oïl or langues d'oui , in English the Oïl or Oui languages, are a dialect continuum that includes standard French and its closest autochthonous relatives spoken today in the northern half of France, southern Belgium, and the Channel Islands...
and in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The meaning of the name Aliénor is not surely known, maybe coming from Latin lenire ("to heal"), or the Germanic name Aldenor, which could mean "old north". In English the name is sometimes connected to Elena
Elena (name)
Elena is a popular Macedonian, Spanish, Romanian and Italian version of the Macedonian name Elena , meaning "light" and "beautiful". The name also means "love" or "happiness"....
, Ellen
Ellen
Ellen may refer to:* Ellen , a female given name* Television programs with Ellen DeGeneres:** Ellen , a sitcom about a bookstore owner...
or Elaine
Elaine (given name)
Elaine is a given name, one of the variants of Helen, and may refer to:In television and film:* Elaine Benes, Seinfeld character* Elaine , EastEnders character* Elaine Hendrix , American actress...
(Helen
Helen (given name)
Helen is a feminine given name derived from the Greek Ἑλένη Helene, meaning "torch" or "corposant." Another possible derivation is the Greek σελήνη or Selene, meaning "moon." Helen of Troy is a character in Greek mythology...
, Helene
Helene (name)
Helene is a female given name from the Greek Ἑλένη, whose etymology is unclear. The modern Greek pronunciation is Eleni, and in English there is also Helena, Elena, Elaine, Helen, Hellen, or Ellen. The name is first attested in the Iliad — Helen of Troy.The name is used in many other...
) as well. It could be connected to the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
eleos ("compassion") as well.
There may be an earlier Eleanor on record. Eleanor of Normandy lived a century earlier than Eleanor of Aquitaine. However, primary sources that identify her name as Eleanor have not been found.
Cognates of the name in different languages include Leonor (le.o.ˈnoɾ)(Spanish and Portuguese), Eléonore (French), Eleonora (Italian), Leonora
Leonora (given name)
Leonora is a feminine given name which is a variation of Eleanor. It was relatively common in the 19th Century in Western countries, ranking as the 314th most popular female given name in the US in 1880...
or Leonore
Leonore (disambiguation)
Leonore may refer to:*The title character, and original title, of Beethoven's opera Fidelio*The opera Léonore, ou L’amour conjugal by Pierre Gaveaux *The heroine of two Verdi operas, La forza del destino and Il trovatore...
(German), and Lenore. The similar Hebrew name Elior means "God is light". The similar-sounding Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
Allahu Nuri also means "God
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
is my light"; the modern version is Nurullah (Noorullah) ("light of God").
Historical bearers of the name
- Queen Eleanor (disambiguation), multiple queens named Eleanor
- Eleanor of EnglandEleanor of EnglandEleanor of Leicester was the youngest child of King John of England and Isabella of Angoulême.-Early life:...
, multiple English princesses - Eleanor AudleyEleanor AudleyEleanor Audley was an American actress who was a familiar radio and animation voice, in addition to her TV and film roles...
(1905–1991), American actress - Eleanor BoardmanEleanor BoardmanEleanor Boardman was an American film actress, popular during the era of silent movies.-Early life and career:...
(1898–1991), American actress - Eleanor BronEleanor BronEleanor Bron is an English stage, film and television actress and author.-Early life and family:Bron was born in 1938 in Stanmore, Middlesex, to a Jewish family of Eastern European origin...
(born 1938), British actress and author - Eleanor DuckworthEleanor DuckworthEleanor Ruth Duckworth is a cognitive psychologist, educational theorist and constructivist educator. A former student, colleague, leading translator and interpreter of Jean Piaget as well as renowned Professor of Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education, she is one of the leading...
(born 1935), Canadian psychologist and educator - Eleanor Lansing DullesEleanor Lansing DullesEleanor Lansing Dulles was an author, teacher and United States Government employee. She was a member of a diplomatic dynasty which spanned three generations. Her grandfather, John Watson Foster, served as United States Secretary of State under President Benjamin Harrison...
(1895–1996), American economist and diplomat - Eleonora DziekiewiczEleonora DziekiewiczEleonora Dziękiewicz , née Staniszewska-Gapa is a female volleyball player from Poland...
(born 1978), Polish volleyball player - Elinor FairElinor FairElinor Fair was an American motion picture actress born in Richmond, Virginia. She began her career with the name Eleanor Crowe, changed it to Lenore Fair, and finally settled on Elinor Fair...
(1903–1957), American actress - Eleanor FriedbergerEleanor FriedbergerEleanor Friedberger is part of the indie rock duo The Fiery Furnaces with her brother Matthew Friedberger. In the band she contributes the majority of the vocals both on record and during their live performances. Eleanor grew up singing with her grandmother, Olga Sarantos and family in a Greek...
(born 1976), American musician - Elinor GlynElinor GlynElinor Glyn , born Elinor Sutherland, was a British novelist and scriptwriter who pioneered mass-market women's erotic fiction. She popularized the concept It...
(1864–1943), British novelist - Eleanor Helin (1932–2009), American astronomer
- Eleanor MarxEleanor MarxJenny Julia Eleanor "Tussy" Marx , also known as Eleanor Marx Aveling, was the English-born youngest daughter of Karl Marx. She was herself a socialist activist, who sometimes worked as a literary translator...
(1855–1898), British writer and daughter of Karl Marx - Eleanor MontgomeryEleanor MontgomeryEleanor Inez Montgomery is a retired female high jumper from the United States, who competed in the 1950s and 1960s for her native country...
(born 1946), American high jumper - Eleanor Holmes NortonEleanor Holmes NortonEleanor Holmes Norton is a Delegate to Congress representing the District of Columbia. In her position she is able to serve on and vote with committees, as well as speak from the House floor...
(born 1937), American politician - Elinor JosephElinor JosephElinor Joseph is an Israeli soldier who has served with the Caracal Battalion of the Israel Defense Forces since 2010. She is the first Arab woman ever to serve in a combat role in the Israeli army.-Background:...
(born 1991), Israeli soldier - Elinor OstromElinor OstromElinor Ostrom is an American political economist. She was awarded the 2009 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, which she shared with Oliver E. Williamson, for "her analysis of economic governance, especially the commons." She was the first, and to date, the only woman to win the prize in...
(born 1933), American political scientist and Nobel prize winner - Eleanor ParkerEleanor ParkerEleanor Jean Parker is an American screen actress. Her versatility led to her being dubbed Woman of a Thousand Faces, the title of her biography by Doug McClelland.- Early life :...
(born 1922), American actress - Eleanor PowellEleanor PowellEleanor Torrey Powell was an American film actress and dancer of the 1930s and 1940s, known for her exuberant solo tap dancing.-Early life:...
(1912–1982), American tap dancer and actress - Eleanor RathboneEleanor RathboneEleanor Florence Rathbone was an independent British Member of Parliament and long-term campaigner for women's rights. She was a member of the noted Rathbone family of Liverpool.-Life:...
(1872–1946), British politician - Eleanor RooseveltEleanor RooseveltAnna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
(1884–1962), First Lady of U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt - Eleanor Porter (1868–1920), American novelist
- Elinor SmithElinor SmithElinor Smith , was a pioneering American aviatrix, once known as "The Flying Flapper of Freeport". She was the first woman test pilot for both Fairchild and Bellanca...
(1911–2010), American aviator - Elinor WilsonElinor WilsonDr. Elinor Wilson is the current President of Assisted Human Reproduction Canada, appointed February 14, 2007 until February 13, 2012-Education:Dr. Elinor Wilson, PhD, MHSc, RN....
, Canadian civil servant
Fictional characters
- Eleonora, fictional character in the short storyShort storyA short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
EleonoraEleonora (short story)"Eleonora" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1842 in Philadelphia in the literary annual The Gift. It is often regarded as somewhat autobiographical and has a relatively "happy" ending.- Plot summary :...
by Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective... - Elanor GardnerElanor GardnerElanor Gardner, also known as Elanor the Fair, is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth legendarium. She is the first child of Master Samwise Gamgee and his wife Rose Cotton....
, the given name of Samwise GamgeeSamwise GamgeeSamwise Gamgee, later known as Samwise Gardner and commonly as Sam, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. Samwise is one of the chief characters in Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, in which he fills an archetypical role as the sidekick of the protagonist, Frodo...
's golden-haired daughter, in the fictional world of The Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
by J.R.R. Tolkien - Eleanor Arroway, fictional character in the 1985 novelNovelA novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
ContactContact (novel)Contact is a science fiction novel written by Carl Sagan and published in 1985. It deals with the theme of contact between humanity and a more technologically advanced, extraterrestrial life form. It ranked No. 7 on the 1985 U.S. bestseller list....
by Carl SaganCarl SaganCarl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He published more than 600 scientific papers and articles and was author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books... - Eleanor Butterbean, fictional character in the television series The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy
- Elinor DashwoodElinor DashwoodElinor Dashwood is a fictional character and the main protagonist of Jane Austen's novel Sense and Sensibility.In this novel, Austen analyses the conflict between the opposing temperaments of sense [logic, propriety, and thoughtfulness, as expressed in Austen's time by neo-classicists], and...
, fictional character in the 1811 novel Sense and SensibilitySense and SensibilitySense and Sensibility, published in 1811, is a British romance novel by Jane Austen, her first published work under the pseudonym, "A Lady." Jane Austen is considered a pioneer of the romance genre of novels, and for the realism portrayed in her novels, is one the most widely read writers in...
by Jane AustenJane AustenJane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived... - Eleanor Iselin, fictional character in the 1959 novel The Manchurian CandidateThe Manchurian CandidateThe Manchurian Candidate , by Richard Condon, is a political thriller novel about the son of a prominent US political family who is brainwashed into being an unwitting assassin for the Communist Party....
by Richard CondonRichard CondonRichard Thomas Condon was a prolific and popular American political novelist whose satiric works were generally presented in the form of thrillers or semi-thrillers... - Eleanor Lamb, fictional character in the video game of BioShock 2BioShock 2BioShock 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by 2K Marin for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The sequel to the 2007 video game BioShock, it was released worldwide on February 9, 2010....
- Eleanor Miller, fictional member of the music group The ChipettesThe ChipettesThe Chipettes are a fictional group of anthropomorphic chipmunk singers first appearing on the cartoon series Alvin and the Chipmunks in 1983. In this and related materials, the Chipettes served as female featured characters in their own right, starring in numerous episodes...
- Eleanor Nash, a character in Degrassi: The Next Generation
- Eleanor of Tristain, fictional character in the novels and animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
The Familiar of Zero - Eleanor Bramwell, In the 1995 series 'BramwellBramwellBramwell is a British television series starring Jemma Redgrave as Dr. Eleanor Bramwell, a woman challenging the domination of men in the medical establishment, who runs a free hospital for the poor in the East End of London, during the late Victorian era .The series by Carlton Television was shown...
'
Ships
, a British Royal Navy fireship purchased in 1739 and sunk in 1742, a United States Navy patrol boat in commission from 1917 to 1918Other
- Eleanor (car) is the code name given to 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1Ford Mustang Mach 1The Ford Mustang Mach 1 was a performance model of the Ford Mustang that Ford produced beginning in 1969. The original production run of the Mach 1 ended in 1979 because the Mustang II coupe was being phased out in favor of newer Mustangs on the Fox body platform.The Mach 1 returned in 2003 as a...
in the original 1974 film Gone in 60 SecondsGone in 60 Seconds (1974 film)Gone in 60 Seconds is a 1974 American action film written, directed, produced by, and starring H.B. 'Toby' Halicki. It centers on a group of car thieves and the 48 cars they must steal in a matter of days. The film is famous for having wrecked and destroyed 93 cars in a 34-minute car chase scene....
and a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT 500 in the remake from 2000. - Eleanor RigbyEleanor Rigby"Eleanor Rigby" is a song by The Beatles, simultaneously released on the 1966 album Revolver and on a 45 rpm single. The song was written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney...
, a song by The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
.