| Eleni | Melina | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Torch; bright light (disputed) | Honey |
| Origin | greek | Greek |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | eh-LEH-nee | muh-LEE-nah |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1883 |
| Peak year | 2024 (255) | 2009 (681) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 434 |
| Trend | Rising | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Eleni | Melina |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,216 | 2,724 |
| 2010s | 1,420 | 4,946 |
| 2000s | 1,319 | 5,413 |
| 1990s | 1,275 | 3,089 |
| 1980s | 762 | 1,634 |
| 1970s | 469 | 1,104 |
| 1960s | 239 | 616 |
| 1950s | 100 | 118 |
| 1940s | 22 | 34 |
| 1930s | 0 | 16 |
| 1920s | 0 | 57 |
| 1910s | 0 | 82 |
| 1900s | 0 | 40 |
| 1890s | 0 | 36 |
| 1880s | 0 | 17 |
Modern Greek form of Helen/Helene. The etymology is uncertain: most often linked to Greek 'hele' ('torch') or a root meaning 'shine/bright', with some scholars instead proposing a connection to the moon or a pre-Greek word of unknown meaning. The 'torch/bright light' reading is traditional but not settled.
Melina is linked to the Greek for “honey.”
Melina is more popular than Eleni today: about 434 US babies were given the name Melina in 2025, compared with 0 named Eleni.
Eleni means Torch; bright light (disputed) (greek origin), while Melina means Honey (Greek origin).
In US records, Eleni first appears in 0 and Melina in 1883, so Eleni has the longer recorded history.