Elle
Meaning of Elle
Elle slips off the tongue like a silk ribbon—simply “EL”—and carries with it a dash of Parisian flair, since it’s the French word for “she.” In English-speaking circles, it also shines as a streamlined nickname for classics like Eleanor, Elizabeth, or Gabrielle, yet it stands confidently on its own, equal parts chic and approachable. Pop-culture has sprinkled extra stardust on the name through style bible Elle magazine, luminous supermodel Elle Macpherson, and actress Elle Fanning, giving it a modern, fashion-forward glow. Quietly climbing the U.S. charts since the late 1990s, Elle now sits comfortably in the 400-range—proof that parents are drawn to its minimalist grace without fearing it will ever feel overdone. Short, sweet, and unmistakably feminine, Elle feels like a single note that somehow plays an entire melody, offering a baby girl a name that’s as light as air yet strong enough to carry her dreams.
Pronunciation
French
- Pronunced as el (/ɛl/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Elle
| Mary Elle Fanning is an American actress who debuted as a child in I Am Sam and later starred in Somewhere and Super 8. |
| Elle Macpherson - Eleanor Nancy Macpherson is an Australian model, entrepreneur, television host, and actress. |
| Elle King is an American singer, songwriter, and actress blending country, rock, and blues whose 2012 debut EP featured a track used as the theme for VH1 series Mob Wives Chicago. |
| Elle Varner - Gabrielle Serene Varner is an American singer-songwriter, born into a musical family in Brooklyn and raised in Los Angeles, who studied at New York University and in 2009 signed with RCA Records and a co-publishing deal with Sony Music. |
| Sisters Elle and Blair Fowler became early YouTube beauty stars, posting makeup and fashion videos as AllThatGlitters21 and juicystar07 and drawing hundreds of millions of views since 2008. |
| Elle Evans Bellamy is a Los Angeles based American model and actress who appeared in the Blurred Lines music video and is a face of NYX Cosmetics. |
| Elle McNicoll is a Scottish children's author celebrated as an outstanding new talent who inspires readers of all ages. |
| Lauren Elle Duncan is an American ESPN sports anchor. |
| Elle Schneider is an American filmmaker and camera developer known for coproducing and shooting the 2014 documentary That Guy Dick Miller and for helping create the Digital Bolex cinema camera. |
| New York City singer, songwriter, and actress Elle Winter signed with Sony Orchard and released her debut EP Yeah, No in March 2020. |
| Elle Purrier St. Pierre is an American middle and long distance runner, the 2024 world indoor 3000m champion and a two time Olympian who reached the 1500m final in 2020 and 2024. |
| Philippine-born Canadian creator Elle Janette Mills, known as ElleOfTheMills, won Breakout YouTuber at the 2018 Shorty Awards and in 2023 stepped back from YouTube to focus on writing and directing, with videos often compared to John Hughes films. |
| Elle Walker is a California-based American vlogger known for the YouTube channels WhatsUpMoms and WhatsUpELLE. |
| Elle Kennedy is a Canadian bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense, best known for her Off-Campus series and frequent appearances on major bestseller lists. |
| Elle McLemore is an American actress who originated roles in Bring It On and Heathers The Musical and appeared on TV in Army Wives final season and Grease Live as Patty Simcox. |
