Ellen

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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

☙

Ellen f. Greek Ἑλένη. The ultimate root of this name is uncertain, and the first attestation of the name in Greek is in Homer's Iliad.

The name of a 4th C Roman saint and empress consort, a 4th C Welsh saint, an 11th C Swedish queen consort, and a 12th C Swedish saint.

The popularity of the French form Elaine was influenced by various characters of this name appearing in medieval Arthurian romances.

Czech Republic

Latin: ● 1358 Helena (dat) chlumecky 226, p. 31

England

Latin: ● 1189 Elene (gen) GASurv p. 122; 1296 Elena (nom) RCS-1 p. 96a; 1377 Elene (gen) FenPT-2 p. 4, Helena (nom) ibid. p. 4; 1381 Elayn (nom) ibid. p. 8, Elen (nom) Suffolk1381 p. 84, Elena (nom) FenPT-2 p. 6, Suffolk1381 p. 71, Elyna (nom) ibid. p. 114, Helena (nom) ibid. p. 114; 1408 Elena (nom) GCCYork p.11; 1554 Helena (nom) StMartF p. 58; 1557 Helena (nom) ibid. p. 59; 1558/9 Elena (nom) Chst-1 p. 10; 1559 Helina (nom) Reg-KirkElla p. 1; 1562 Elena (nom) Chst-1 p. 10; 1563 Elena (nom) ibid. p. 11
Middle English: ● 1418 Elene EEW p. 44; 1420 Elyn ibid. p. 53; 1429 Ellen WillsInv LV
Early Modern English: ● 1530 Helen LIWill-III p. 20, Helene ibid. p. 5, Hellyn ibid. p. 51; 1539 Ellen BEmar-vol1 p. 2, Elyn BarnstapleBap p. 1; 1540 Ellen StAnthonlin p. 2, Elyn BarnstapleBap p. 2; 1541 Ellen StAnthonlin p. 2; 1542 Elyn BarnstapleBap p. 2; 1543 Ellen BEmar-vol1 p. 2; 1544 Elyng BarnstapleBap p. 4, Helen DEmar-vol1 p. 78; 1546 Elyn BarnstapleBap p. 5; 1547 Elen ExMar 1b, Elyn WillsInv XCIV, Helen DEmar-vol1 p. 79; 1548 Ellen BEmar-vol1 p. 3; 1549 Ellen ibid. p. 3; 1552 Ellen StAnthonlin p. 9, Elyn BarnstapleBap p. 7, Helen DEmar-vol1 p. 80; 1553/4 Elen ExMar 2a; 1553 Helen DEmar-vol1 p. 80; 1555 Eline bruton-vol1 p. 2; 1557 Elin BarnstapleBap p. 10, Ellen BEmar-vol1 p. 6; 1558 Ellen StAnthonlin p. 12, Helin bruton-vol1 p. 3; 1558–9 Ellen StMary-Ke p. 2; 1559 Ellen SOmar-vol9 p. 2, Ellin CAmar-vol1 p. 1, Helen BUmar-vol9 p. 2, DEmar-vol1 p. 80, StMaryA p. 3, bruton-vol1 p. 3, Helin ibid. p. 3, Helina HAmar-vol9 p. 2, Hellen DU-DSMMar; 1560 Ellen BUmar-vol9 p. 147, StAnthonlin p. 13, Ellyn BUmar-vol2 p. 115, Helen SaxhamSf p. 56; 1561 Elyn BarnstapleBap p. 11, Helen StMaryA p. 3; 1562 Elena BUmar-vol2 p. 60, Ellen BEmar-vol2 p. 53; 1563 Ellen BEmar-vol1 p. 7; 1563/4 Ellen ibid. p. 7; 1563 Ellen BEmar-vol2 p. 54; 1564 Ellen BEmar-vol1 p. 7, BEmar-vol2 p. 54, Helen Redruth-Co p. 6; 1565 Ellen StAnthonlin p. 17, Helen SaxhamSf p. 2, StMaryA p. 4, Helyn BEmar-vol2 p. 128; 1567 Elyn ibid. p. 2, Helen BUmar-vol9 p. 4; 1568/9 Ellen BEmar-vol1 p. 8; 1568 Helen BUmar-vol9 p. 4, Hellin CAmar-vol1 p. 2; 1569 Helen BUmar-vol9 p. 4, Helena SaxhamSf p. 39; 1570 Ellen StAnthonlin p. 21, Helena SaxhamSf p. 2; 1571 Hellin CAmar-vol1 p. 2; 1572 Ellen StAnthonlin p. 22, Ellin CAmar-vol1 p. 2, Ellyn BEmar-vol2 p. 129, Elyn ibid. p. 129, Helen BUmar-vol9 p. 5, Helene SaxhamSf p. 2; 1573 Elen COmar-vol5 p. 4, Ellen BEmar-vol1 p. 9; 1573/4 Ellen ibid. p. 9; 1573 Ellen StAnthonlin p. 22; 1574 Helen bruton-vol1 p. 41; 1575 Ellen BEmar-vol1 p. 9, BUmar-vol1 p. 26; 1576 Helen BUmar-vol9 p. 5; 1577 Elen COmar-vol5 p. 5, Hellen StAnthonlin p. 25; 1578 Ellen BUmar-vol1 p. 26, Helen BUmar-vol9 p. 6, DEmar-vol1 p. 83; 1579 Ellen BEmar-vol1 p. 10; 1580 Helena BUmar-vol2 p. 63, Helene SaxhamSf p. 56; 1581 Ellen BUmar-vol2 p. 117, StAnthonlin p. 28, Hellin CAmar-vol1 p. 3; 1582 Ellen BEmar-vol1 p. 11, BEmar-vol2 p. 96, StAnthonlin p. 29; 1583 Ellen BEmar-vol1 p. 11, BUmar-vol9 p. 148, OrpingtonKe p. 6, Ellyn BEmar-vol2 p. 130, Hellin CAmar-vol1 p. 129, Hellyn BUmar-vol2 p. 117; 1584 Helena ibid. p. 64; 1585 Elen COmar-vol5 p. 7, Helen BUmar-vol9 p. 7, DEmar-vol1 p. 85; 1586 Elen BEmar-vol2 p. 69, Ellen COmar-vol2 p. 123, Elling Bar-in-El p. 16, Helline ibid. p. 16; 1588 Ellen BEmar-vol1 p. 13, BEmar-vol2 p. 69, Helen DEmar-vol1 p. 85, Helena BUmar-vol2 p. 64, Hellin CAmar-vol1 p. 4, Helline Bar-in-El p. 26; 1589 Elen BEmar-vol2 p. 130, Eline BUmar-vol2 p. 117, Ellen BEmar-vol1 p. 13; 1589/90 Ellen ibid. p. 13, BEmar-vol2 p. 54; 1589 Ellen StAnthonlin p. 34; 1590 Hele DEmar-vol2 p. 20, Hellin CAmar-vol1 p. 130; 1591 Elyne BEmar-vol2 p. 3; 1592 Ellen BEmar-vol1 p. 15; 1592/3 Ellen ibid. p. 15; 1592 Ellen StAnthonlin p. 35, Helen BUmar-vol9 p. 8, DEmar-vol2 p. 25; 1593 Ellen StAnthonlin p. 36, Helen BUmar-vol9 p. 8, bruton-vol1 p. 10, Helena BUmar-vol2 p. 65; 1594 Ellen COmar-vol2 p. 123, Helen DEmar-vol1 p. 87, Hellin CAmar-vol1 p. 5; 1595 Ellen BUmar-vol1 p. 27, Helen BUmar-vol9 p. 9; 1596 Ellen DEmar-vol2 p. 34, Ellin HAmar-vol9 p. 93; 1597 Helen BUmar-vol9 p. 10; 1598 Elin BEmar-vol2 p. 31, Ellen BEmar-vol1 p. 17; 1599 Ellen BUmar-vol1 p. 27, DEmar-vol2 p. 41; ◑ 1563 Elineta BUmar-vol2 p. 60

Finland

Early Modern Swedish: ● 1548 Elin Audén1980 p. 167

France

Latin: ● 958x92 Elena (nom) St-Bernard-Romans no. 87
Middle French: ● 1563 Hélène RegPCC-1 p. 25; 1565 Elène ibid. p. 125, Helaine ibid. p. 166

Germany

Early New High German: ● 1497 Helena Nurn1497 449, Helenan ibid. 2596

Italy

Latin: ● 1010 Leni skinner p. 113

Scotland

Scots: ● 1488 Elena PGB; 1542 Elena ibid.; 1565 Elena ibid.; 1566 Elena ibid.; 1586 Helen ibid.; 1590 Helen ibid.; 1596 Helen ibid.; 1597 Helen ibid.

Spain

Catalan: ● 1510 Elena valencia1510 3700

Sweden

Latin: ● 1350 Elene (gen) SDHK no. 6020, Eliane (gen) ibid. no. 6030, Ælynæ (gen) ibid. no. 6015
Old Swedish: ● 1383 Ælina SRA-vol2 no. 1917, Ælinas (gen) ibid. no. 1917

Ukraine

Latin: ● 1469 Helenam (acc) AGZ-18 16; 1479 Elena (nom) ibid. CVIII-1309

Cite as: R. Le Get, N. Shiel, J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Ellen". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2016, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2016/1/name/Ellen.