| Iris | Elena | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Iris flower / rainbow | Bright, shining light |
| Origin | greek | Greek |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | EYE-ris | eh-LAY-nuh |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2025 (3,729) | 2025 (4,836) |
| In 2025 | 3,729 | 4,836 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Iris | Elena |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 17,499 | 26,192 |
| 2010s | 15,352 | 28,804 |
| 2000s | 8,644 | 15,699 |
| 1990s | 5,542 | 9,500 |
| 1980s | 4,739 | 6,300 |
| 1970s | 4,685 | 5,281 |
| 1960s | 5,807 | 4,744 |
| 1950s | 8,871 | 3,454 |
| 1940s | 7,814 | 2,247 |
| 1930s | 8,135 | 1,638 |
| 1920s | 8,672 | 2,169 |
| 1910s | 4,360 | 1,335 |
| 1900s | 937 | 376 |
| 1890s | 374 | 200 |
| 1880s | 119 | 74 |
From Greek 'iris' meaning 'rainbow'; Iris was the Greek goddess of the rainbow. The iris flower was named for its rainbow range of colours, so the name functions both as a bloom word and a word for 'rainbow'.
A form of Helen, from the Greek, “torch” or “bright, shining light.”
Elena is more popular than Iris today: about 4,836 US babies were given the name Elena in 2025, compared with 3,729 named Iris.
Iris means Iris flower / rainbow (greek origin), while Elena means Bright, shining light (Greek origin).
In US records, Iris first appears in 1880 and Elena in 1880, so Iris has the longer recorded history.