Elina

A Finnish-established name that is often treated as related to Helena/Elena traditions, giving it associations with “light” in some explanations.

Elina is a feminine given name that is well established in Finnish usage and recognizable across several European contexts. It often feels contemporary in English-speaking settings because it is short, vowel-forward, and less tied to older English naming cycles, while still being a long-used name in its home context. Many explanations treat Elina as connected to the Helena/Elena family, which is traditionally linked to Greek roots that references often gloss as relating to “light” or a “torch,” although exact phrasing differs across dictionaries and linguistic treatments. Because of that, the name is frequently associated with clarity or brightness without claiming a single definitive literal meaning. Pronunciation in English is often eh-LEE-nuh; in Finnish-style pronunciation, vowel quality can shift slightly. If you use the accented spelling Elína, it usually signals a specific orthographic convention rather than a different name.

Etymology: In Finnish usage, Elina is commonly treated as a form connected to Helena/Elena; Helena is traditionally linked to Greek roots often glossed as relating to “light” or “torch,” though exact glossing varies by source.