Eleni is a feminine given name of Greek origin. It is a phonetic spelling of the Modern Greek name "Ελένη", whose ancient version, Ἑλένη, is anglicized as

Helen Helen may refer to: People * Helen of Troy, in Greek mythology, the most beautiful woman in the world * Helen (actress) (born 1938), Indian actress * Helen (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) Places * Helen, ...

. Popular diminutives and nicknames include: ''Elenitsa'', ''Elenaki'', ''Elena'', ''Lena'', ''Lenio'', ''Lenners'', ''Nitsa'', “Leroy”. Eleni may refer to:

People

Eleni of Ethiopia Eleni ( Ge’ez: እሌኒ, "Helena"; died April 1522) also known as Queen of Zeila was Empress of Ethiopia by marriage to Zara Yaqob (r. 1434–1468), and served as regent between 1507 and 1516 during the minority of emperor Dawit II. She played ...

(died 1522), Ethiopian empress * Eleni Andriola (born 1986), Greek gymnast *

Eleni Artymata Eleni Artymata ( el, Ελένη Αρτυματά, born 16 May 1986 in Paralimni) is a track and field sprint athlete, who competes internationally for Cyprus. Biography Artymata represented Cyprus at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She c ...

(born 1986), Greek sprinter * Eleni Avlonitou (born 1958), Greek swimmer *

Eleni Bakopanos Eleni Bakopanos, (born May 10, 1954 in Argos, Greece) is a Canadian politician. Bakopanos was a member of the Liberal Party of Canada in the House of Commons of Canada, representing the riding of Ahuntsic from 1997 to 2006, and Saint-Denis ...

(born 1954), Greek-born Canadian politician * Eleni Benson (born 1983), Greek footballer *

Eleni Christofi Eleni Christofi ( gr, Ελένη Χριστοφή; born 9 August 1998) is a Greek tennis player. Career Christofi has a career-high doubles ranking by the WTA of 303, achieved on 14 August 2023. She has won nine doubles titles on the ITF Women' ...

(born 1998), Greek tennis player * Eleni Cubitt, Greek-born British film maker *

Eleni Daniilidou Eleni Daniilidou ( el, Ελένη Δανιηλίδου; ; born 19 September 1982) is a Greek former tennis player from the island of Crete. She is considered one of the best Greek tennis players of the Open Era, winning five singles titles and t ...

(born 1982), Greek tennis player *

Eleni Doika Eleni Doika (born ) is a Greek group rhythmic gymnast. She represents her nation at international competitions. She participated at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She also competed at world championships, including at the 2011, 2013, 2014 a ...

(born 1995), Greek gymnast * Eleni Donta (born 1980), Greek marathon runner * Eleni Filandra (born 1984), Greek runner *Eleni Foskett (born 1998), British actress * Eleni Fotiadou Küreman (1921–2001), Turkish photojournalist of Greek ethnicity *

Eleni Foureira Eleni Foureira ( el, Ελένη Φουρέιρα; born Entela Fureraj; 7 March 1987) is a naturalised Greek, Albanian singer and dancer. She began her music career in 2007 as a member of the Greek girl group Mystique, pursuing a solo career after ...

(born 1987), Greek singer and fashion designer *Eleni Giokos (born 1982), Greek-born journalist at CNN * Eleni Goula (born 1990), Greek water polo player * Eleni Kapogianni (born 1969), Greek basketball coach *

Eleni Karaindrou Eleni Karaindrou ( el, Ελένη Καραΐνδρου, born 25 November 1941) is a Greek composer. She is best known for scoring the films of the Greek director Theo Angelopoulos. Biography Karaindrou moved with her family to Athens when she wa ...

, Greek composer *

Eleni Kounalakis Eleni Kounalakis (née Tsakopoulos; born March 3, 1966) is an American politician, businesswoman, and former diplomat serving as the 50th lieutenant governor of California since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she is the first woman elec ...

, 50th

Lieutenant Governor of California The lieutenant governor of California is the second highest executive officer of the government of the U.S. state of California. The lieutenant governor is elected to serve a four-year term and can serve a maximum of two terms. In addition to ...

* Eleni Konsolaki, Greek archaeologist *

Eleni Kosti Eleni Kosti ( gr, Ελένη Κωστή; born November 6, 1985) is a Greek former swimmer, who specialized in freestyle events. She represented her nation Greece in two editions of the Olympic Games (2004 and 2008), and also won a bronze medal a ...

(born 1985), Greek swimmer *

Eleni Kouvdou Eleni Kouvdou (born 9 August 1989) is a Greek water polo player. She was part of the Greek team that won the gold medal at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships. See also * List of world champions in women's water polo * List of World Aquatics ...

(born 1989), Greek water polo player *

Eleni Lambiri Eleni Lambiri ( el, Ελένη Λαμπίρη, 9 February 1889 – 30 March 1960) was a Greek conductor and composer. She is often regarded as the first female Greek composer. Life and career Eleni Lambiri was born in Athens, daughter of the co ...

(born 1889), Greek conductor and composer *

Eleni Mandell Eleni Mandell is an American singer-songwriter. Since 2000, she has published albums through Zedtone Records in Toronto, Ontario, which in 2012 began licensing her releases to Yep Roc in the United States, and Make My Day in Europe. She is also ...

(born 1969), American singer-songwriter *

Eleni Markou Eleni Markou (born 29 March 1995) is a Greek footballer who plays for Swiss Super League club FC Basel and the Greece national team. International goals Honours ;PAOK * A Division (5): 2012/13, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18 * Greek ...

(born 1995), Greek footballer *

Eleni Mavrou Eleni Mavrou (, ) is the Executive Chairman of Dialogos Media Group. She served as Minister of Interior of the Republic of Cyprus until February 2013. Until 2011, she was the mayor of the capital city Nicosia for 5 years. Thus, Ms Mavrou became th ...

(born 1961), Greek Cypriot politician *

Eleni Memetzi Eleni Memetzi (born ) is a Greek female volleyball player. She was part of the Greece women's national volleyball team. She competed with the national team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. She played with Vrilissia in 2004. Clubs ...

(born 1975), Greek volleyball player *

Eleni Menegaki Eleni Menegaki ( el, Ελένη Μενεγάκη; born October 29, 1969), is a Greek TV presenter. In 2010, '' Forbes'' ranked Menegaki as the second-most powerful and influential celebrity in Greece and top-ranked female. Career Television ...

(born 1969), Greek talk show presenter *

Eleni Oikonomopoulou Eleni is a transliteration of the Greek name Ελένη, also written as Helen, Helene: * Eleni (given name), including lists of people with that name * ''Eleni'' (film), 1985 film adaptation of Gage's book, by Peter Yates *, Greek cargo ship in se ...

(1912–1999), Greek artist *

Eleni Ourani Alkis Thrylos (Greek: Άλκης Θρύλος, born Eleni Ourani (Ελένης Ουράνη) in 1896 – December 8, 1971) was a Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, ...

(1896–1971), Greek writer *

Eleni Papadaki Eleni Papadaki (Greek: Ελένη Παπαδάκη, 4 November 1903 – 22 December 1944) was a celebrated Greek stage actress who was murdered during the Dekemvriana events, accused for political reasons by the communists, of having collaborate ...

(1903–1944), Greek stage actress * Eleni Patsiou (born 1971), Greek judoka * Eleni Poimenidou (born 1980), Greek handball player * Eleni Rantou (born 1963), Greek actress *

Eleni Skoura Eleni Skoura (Ελένη Σκούρα, 21 December 1896, Volos – 4 February 1991) was the first female member of parliament in Greece, elected in a by-election in January 1953, following the first official women's vote in that country in the ...

(1896-1991), Greek politician *

Eleni Stroulia Eleni Stroulia is a Greek and Canadian computer scientist whose research concerns artificial intelligence, social computing, smart buildings, the internet of things, and software engineering for real-world applications. She is a professor of co ...

, Greek-Canadian computer scientist * Eleni Tampasi (born 1976), Greek judoka * Eleni Teloni (born 1964), Cypriot hammer thrower * Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis, American diplomat *

Eleni Tsaligopoulou Eleni Tsaligopoulou ( el, Ελένη Τσαλιγοπούλου; born 11 April 1963) is a Greek singer of popular music who, in the course of a 30-year career, has maintained a position as one of her country's best-selling recording artists. Ear ...

(born 1963), Greek singer * Eleni Tzoka (born 1956), Polish singer * Eleni Vakalo (1921-2001), Greek poet, art critic and art historian * Eleni Vasileiou (born 1974), Greek basketball player *

Eleni Vitali Eleni Vitali (Ελένη Βιτάλη) is a Greek popular singer and composer of Gypsy origin, active from the early 1970s. Career and life Eleni Vitali was born in Athens on September 19, 1954 into a musical Hellenized- Gypsy family and w ...

(born 1954), Greek singer * Eleni Xenaki (born 1997), Greek water polo player *

Eleni Zafeiriou Eleni Zafeiriou ( el, Ελένη Ζαφειρίου, 1916 – 2 September 2004) was a Greek film actress. She appeared in 108 films between 1951 and 1996. She was born in Larissa, Greece, and died in Athens. Filmography In film * ''Bitter ...

(1916–2004), Greek film actress

Fictional characters

*Eleni Andros Cooper, fictional character on the soap opera ''

Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the third longest-running drama in television in American history. ''Guiding Light'' a ...

'' *Eleni, fictional vampire in Anne Rice's novel ''

The Vampire Lestat ''The Vampire Lestat'' (1985) is a vampire novel by American writer Anne Rice, the second in her ''Vampire Chronicles'', following ''Interview with the Vampire'' (1976). The story is told from the point of view of the vampire Lestat de Lioncour ...

'' *Eleni Petraki, fictional character in Victoira Hislop's novel ''The Island'' *Eleni Cooper, mother of Baron George Cooper in the Legends of Tortall novels by Tamora Pierce

Songs about Eleni

*"Anoixe Lenio tin porta" (Lenio open the door,

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

: Άνοιξε Λενιώ την πόρτα), traditional *"Eleni" by

Thanos Mikroutsikos Athanasios "Thanos" Mikroutsikos ( el, Αθανάσιος (Θάνος) Μικρούτσικος; 13 April 1947 – 28 December 2019) was a Greek composer and politician. He is considered one of the most important composers of the recent Greek mu ...

and Babis Tsikliropoulos, originally sung by

Haris Alexiou Haris Alexiou ( el, Χάρις Αλεξίου, ; born 27 December 1950 in Thebes, Greece as Hariklia Roupaka, el, Χαρίκλεια Ρουπάκα, ) is a Greek singer. She is considered one of the most popular singers in Greece and has been co ...

*"Fevgo, Lenio" (Lenio, I'm leaving, Greek: Φεύγω, Λενιώ) by Spyros Peristeris and Minos Matsas *"I Eleni i zontochira" (Divorcee Eleni, Greek: Η Ελένη η ζωντοχήρα) by Iovan Tsaous, originally sung by Antonis Kalyvopoulos *"I Lenio i koutsobola" (Nosy Lenio, Greek: Η Λενιώ η κουτσομπόλα) by

Michalis Genitsaris Michalis Genitsaris ( el, Μιχάλης Γενίτσαρης or Γεννήτσαρης) (15 June 1917 – 11 May 2005) was a Greek singer and composer of the '' rebetiko'' genre. He was born and died in Agia Sofia, Piraeus. He was known as the l ...

*"Nitsa-Elenitsa" (Greek: Νίτσα-Ελενίτσα) by Giorgos Mitsakis, originally sung by

Stelios Kazantzidis Stelios Kazantzidis (Greek: Στέλιος Καζαντζίδης; 29 August 1931 – 14 September 2001) was one of the most prominent Greek singers. A leading singer of Greek popular music, or Laïkó, he collaborated with many of Greece's fore ...

*"To tango tis Elenis" (Eleni's tango, Greek: Το τανγκό της Ελένης) by Antonis Vardis and

Vasilis Papakonstantinou Vasilis Papakonstantinou (Βασίλης Παπακωνσταντίνου) (born 21 June 1950) is a Greek singer known mostly for his work in Greek rock. Most of his songs have gained considerable popularity, mainly in Greece and Cyprus. Early ...

*"Eleni" by

Nikos Karvelas Nikos Karvelas ( el, Νίκος Καρβέλας; born Nikos Leonardos on 8 September 1951) is a Greek songwriter, producer and singer. He has sold millions of records as a producer and is most recognizable for his three-decade-long collaborat ...

, originally sung by

Anna Vissi Anna Vissi ( el, Άννα Βίσση, , ; born 20 December 1957), is a Greek Cypriot singer and songwriter. She studied music at conservatories and performed locally before moving to the professional scene in Athens, in 1973, where she signed ...

- later covered by Turkish pop folk singer

Hülya Avşar Hülya Avşar (born 10 October 1963) is a Turkish actress, singer, businesswoman, and former beauty pageant titleholder. She is best known for numerous films and hit revenge series "Kadın İsterse". Her international roles include Safiye Sultan ...

as "Sevdim"