Where does “Elena” come from?
Elena comes from Italian Elena, which derives from Latin Helēna, itself from Greek Helénē, originally meaning "torch" or "bright one."
Ancestry of “Elena”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Italian | Elena | — |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | ἑλένη | torch, firebrand; corposant, St. Elmo's fire;... |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | swel- | to smolder; burn; scorch; beam, board, frame,... |