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Name Origin

Elena is a feminine given name of Greek origin. It is a variant of Helen, meaning 'light' or 'torch'. In Greek mythology, Helen of Troy was renowned for her beauty.

greekfemininelighttorchbeautymythology

Famous People

Elena Anaya (1975-)

Actress

  • Known for her roles in films such as 'Van Helsing' and 'Wonder Woman'
  • Won the Goya Award for Best Actress for her performance in 'The Skin I Live In'

Elena Dementieva (1981-)

Former professional tennis player

  • Won the Olympic gold medal in women's singles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
  • Reached a career-high ranking of No. 3 in the world

Elena Ferrante (1943-)

Novelist

  • Author of the Neapolitan Novels series
  • Won numerous literary awards

Elena Kagan (1960-)

Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

  • First female Solicitor General of the United States
  • Nominated to the Supreme Court by President Obama in 2010

Elena Bonner (1923-2011)

Human rights activist

  • Wife of Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov
  • Advocate for human rights in the Soviet Union and Russia