The Name Elena
Elena is a female name of Greek origin meaning “bright one, torch”. Below are the forms of the name, name days in the Orthodox calendar, character by tradition, numerology, the first letter, talismans and compatibility with other names.
Origin and meaning
Elena is a female name of Greek origin. Meaning: “bright one, torch”. From the Greek Ἑλένη; the name is usually linked with ἑλένη, “torch”, or ἥλιος, “sun”.
Forms of the name
| Full form | Elena |
| Short forms | Lena, Alena, Lelya |
| Affectionate forms | Lenochka, Lenusya |
Name days (angel’s day)
| June 3 | Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine and Empress Helena |
A name day is the feast of the saint after whom a person was baptised. If several saints share the name, custom is to celebrate the first feast after the birthday. Shown here are the main feasts in the calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church, with civil (Gregorian) dates.
Character by tradition
In name descriptions, Elena is a gentle, dreamy and caring nature. She knows how to create a cosy home and warm relationships. She can be vulnerable and anxious. Her strength is kindness and charm.
Name numerology
Letters of the name Elena («Елена») in the Russian 1–9 table: Е 6 + Л 4 + Е 6 + Н 6 + А 1 = 23 → 5. The sum is reduced to one digit; the master numbers 11, 22 and 33 are kept.
Name number 5 — freedom and change. Five is the number of movement: curiosity, courage, a taste for the new and for travel. Boredom is worse than hardship for this name; the weak spot is inconstancy.
Vowels give the soul number 4 (order and work), consonants the personality number 1 (will and leadership). Inner motive: order and work; outer manner: will and leadership. Such a gap is not bad in itself: others see one side, close people know the other.
In Slavic Cyrillic numerals (using the modern spelling of the name): Е=5 + Л=30 + Е=5 + Н=50 + А=1 = 91, reduced to 1. Letters that had no numeric value are skipped. This is an additional digit, not a second name number: meanings for the Cyrillic numerals were added in the 20th century, modeled on Western numerology.
More: name number with surname, Slavic Cyrillic numerals, number meanings.
First letter and letters of the name
In letter reading — a popular tradition of interpreting letters — the first letter of the name matters most: it sets the main tone of character. The other letters add shades.
Е — self-expression. A need to speak out and exchange ideas; insight, a talent for mediation; sometimes talkativeness.
Other letters: Л — sense of beauty; Н — strong character and protest; А — beginning and action.
Talismans of the name
Name books usually derive talismans from the name number and its planet; lists differ between authors. Here we follow Cheiro (“Book of Numbers”): number 5 is linked with the planet Mercury.
| Planet | Mercury |
| Stones | diamond |
| Colours | light grey, white, shimmering shades |
| Favourable days | Wednesday, Friday |
Compatibility with other names
In numerology, compatibility of names is judged by their numbers. Number 5 goes most easily with 1 and 3, and has more friction with 2 and 4.
Goes well with: Grigoriy, Denis, Evgeniy, Matvey, Oleg, Platon, Svyatoslav, Tihon, Trofim, Yakov.
More friction with: Andrey, Valentin, Elisey, Kirill, Pavel, Timur.
Check a couple precisely: compatibility by name.
Outcome
The name Elena carries the meaning “bright one, torch”. Name number 5 — freedom and change; first letter E — self-expression. Inner wishes (order and work) and outer manner (will and leadership) differ: a person with this name needs close people to see more than what is shown. Name days: June 3.