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Dictionary of Medieval Names
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Eleanor f. Of uncertain origin. The name of Eleanor of Aquitaine, known as Provençal as Alienor, is often explained as Latin alia 'other' + Aenor, the name of her mother, but as there are possibly examples which pre-date her, this cannot be the complete story.

The name of a 12th C queen consort of France and England, a 12th-13th C queen consort of Castile, a 13th C queen consort of Castile, two 13th C queens consort of England, a 13th C queen consort of Denmark, two 14th C queens consort of Aragon, a 14th C queen consort of Portugal, a 14th-15th C queen consort of Navarre, a 15th C queen consort of Portugal, and a 16th C queen consort of Portugal and France.

Though the names are unrelated, Ellen over time came to be considered a variant or a pet form of Eleanor.

England
Latin
● 1194 Alienora (nom) RotCur-vol1 p. 3, Alienore (dat) ibid. p. 4; 1296 Alianora (nom) RCS-1 p. 95b, Alianore (gen) ibid. p. 93a; 1381 Alianora (nom) FenPT-2 p. 9, Elenor (nom) Suffolk1381 p. 116; 1425 Elianore (abl) EEW p. 66; 1436 Elenoræ (dat) WillsInv LVIII
Middle English
● 1395 Alianore EEW p. 5, Alienore ibid. p. 6; 1418 Elyanore ibid. p. 31; 1425 Elianor ibid. p. 65; 1426 Alienore ibid. p. 70; 1431 Alionore ibid. p. 90
Early Modern English
● 1485 Aleanor WillsInv LXIX; 1511 Alianore OrpingtonKe p. 75; 1516 Elianor WillsInv LXXV; 1530 Helioner LIWill-III p. 35; 1539 Elynor BarnstapleBap p. 1; 1540 Elnor ibid. p. 1, Elyner ibid. p. 1, Elynor ibid. p. 2; 1542 Elnor ibid. p. 3; 1543 Elener HAmar-vol9 p. 2, Elenor BarnstapleBap p. 3, Elinor StNick-Sf p. 1, Elnor BarnstapleBap p. 3, Elynor ibid. p. 3; 1544 Elynor ibid. p. 4; 1547 Elnor ibid. p. 5, Elnore ibid. p. 5; 1548/9 Elenor ExMar 2a; 1551 Elynor BarnstapleBap p. 7; 1552 Elnor ibid. p. 7; 1553 Elynor ibid. p. 8; 1554 Elenor bruton-vol1 p. 26; 1555 Eleonara HAmar-vol9 p. 2, Elynor BarnstapleBap p. 9; 1556 Elenor bruton-vol1 p. 28, Elnor BarnstapleBap p. 9; 1557 Elenor bruton-vol1 p. 28; 1558 Eleanor SaxhamSf p. 130, Elenor bruton-vol1 p. 109; 1559 Elenor ibid. p. 110; 1560 Elnor COmar-vol5 p. 2, Elynor BarnstapleBap p. 10; 1561 Elnore BEmar-vol2 p. 68; 1562 Elenor bruton-vol1 p. 32, Elinor COmar-vol5 p. 2, Elnor BarnstapleBap p. 12, Elynor ibid. p. 12; 1563 Elenor bruton-vol1 p. 33, Elnor COmar-vol5 p. 3; 1565 Ellinor OrpingtonKe p. 2; 1566 Elenor bruton-vol1 p. 36, Ellnor DEmar-vol1 p. 81, Elynora HAmar-vol9 p. 2; 1567 Elenor bruton-vol1 p. 5; 1567/8 Elnor BEmar-vol2 p. 2; 1568 Eleanor bruton-vol1 p. 112, Elnor BEmar-vol1 p. 8; 1569 Eleanor BUmar-vol9 p. 5, Elenor bruton-vol1 p. 5, Ellinor OrpingtonKe p. 3, Ellnor HAmar-vol9 p. 116; 1570 Elenor bruton-vol1 p. 39, Ellemor BEmar-vol2 p. 54, Ellinor OrpingtonKe p. 3, Elnor BEmar-vol2 p. 2; 1573 Elenor bruton-vol1 p. 40, Eleoner COmar-vol2 p. 121; 1576 Elner COmar-vol5 p. 5, HAmar-vol9 p. 68; 1577 Elnor BUmar-vol2 p. 62; 1578 Elenor bruton-vol1 p. 43; 1579 Elenor ibid. p. 44; 1581 Eliner BEmar-vol2 p. 130; 1582 Eleanor DEmar-vol2 p. 7, Elenor BUmar-vol2 p. 63, Ellenor StAnthonlin p. 29; 1583 Eleanor DEmar-vol2 p. 9, Ellinor BEmar-vol2 p. 30; 1583/4 Ellnor BEmar-vol1 p. 11; 1585 Eleanor DEmar-vol2 p. 11, Elinor BEmar-vol2 p. 96; 1586 Elenor bruton-vol1 p. 47, Elioner HAmar-vol9 p. 79, Ellnor DEmar-vol1 p. 85; 1587 Eleanor DEmar-vol2 p. 14, Elenor bruton-vol1 p. 8, Elyner BEmar-vol2 p. 31; 1588 Elnora BUmar-vol2 p. 64, Elynor COmar-vol5 p. 8; 1589 Eleanor DEmar-vol2 p. 17, Elenor bruton-vol1 p. 49, Ellyner BEmar-vol2 p. 31; 1590 Elenor bruton-vol1 p. 9, Elynor COmar-vol5 p. 9; 1591 Elenor bruton-vol1 p. 10; 1592 Elemar StAnthonlin p. 35, Elenor DEmar-vol1 p. 86; 1593 Eleanor DEmar-vol2 p. 26, Elenor bruton-vol1 p. 52; 1595 Elliner BEmar-vol1 p. 16; 1596 Elner BUmar-vol1 p. 27; 1597 Eleanor DEmar-vol2 p. 34, Elenor bruton-vol1 p. 56; 1598 Elenar StAnthonlin p. 39, Elenor bruton-vol1 p. 56; 1599 Eleanor DEmar-vol2 p. 40, Elenor bruton-vol1 p. 11, Elinor BUmar-vol2 p. 142, Ellinor OrpingtonKe p. 9
France
Latin
● 1141 Alienorde (abl) CartNDSaintes VII; 1146 Alienorde (abl) ibid. VIII, Alienordis (nom) ibid. VIII; 1153 Alienorde (abl) ibid. IX, Alienordis (nom) ibid. IX; 1167 Alienordis (nom) ibid. X; 1378 Alienore (dat) hanquetvol1 597
Italy
Latin
● 1527 Eleonora (nom) Rome1527 p. 88
The Netherlands
Dutch
● 1580 Elionor MagMiddelburg-1560; 1581 Elionor ibid.; 1582 Elionor ibid.
Portugal
Latin
● 1217 Eleonor (abl) PHGCRP-I no. 21, alionor (nom) ibid. no. 21; 1221 Lianor (nom) ibid. no. 19
Spain
Latin
● 1487 Elionor (nom) carbonell p. 11; 1488 Elionor (nom) ibid. p. 16; 1489 Elionor (nom) ibid. p. 29, Elionoris (gen) ibid. p. 34; 1490 Elionor (nom) ibid. p. 40; 1491 Elionor (nom) ibid. p. 52; 1492 Elionor (nom) ibid. p. 66
Catalan
● 1510 Elionor valencia1510 3222
Wales
Latin
● 1497 Alinor (nom) ArchCambIII p. 108
Cite as: J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Eleanor". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2016, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2016/1/name/Eleanor.