Lenore

Meaning of Lenore

Lenore is a lilting, lantern-bright spin on Eleanor and Leonora, tracing its roots back to the Greek “Helene,” meaning “light,” and gathering a little Continental flair along the way. Pronounced luh-NOR, it has long woven itself through Anglo-American storytelling—think Edgar Allan Poe’s midnight-tinted verses or the old German ballad where brave Lenore rides through the night—so the name carries a whisper of literary mystery alongside its sunny meaning. While it once shone near the top of Victorian baby lists, Lenore now hovers in the low 800s in U.S. popularity charts, making it familiar yet delightfully uncommon—a perfect sweet-spot for parents who like vintage elegance without fearing five Lenores on a playground roll call. In conversation, the name feels smooth and confident; in print, it looks poised and timeless, giving a daughter a built-in night-light of history, romance, and individuality.