Meaning & Origin
A female given name, variant of Eleanor.
Elinor is a girl's baby name of Greek origin, a variant spelling of Eleanor, from the Provençal Alienor, possibly derived from the Greek name Helénē meaning 'bright,' 'shining,' or 'torch.' Jane Austen immortalized this spelling for Elinor Dashwood, the sensible, emotionally intelligent heroine of Sense and Sensibility.
The Elinor spelling has been claimed by literary-minded parents ever since Austen used it — it's the name of the daughter who does the right thing even when it's hard, who leads with sense and discovers the depth of her own feelings. A name with quiet strength and enormous literary prestige.