It is a medieval nick name of Eleonora which comes from the French form of the Provencal name Alienor, which is most likely a Germanic name of unknown meaning, though it is possibly a form of Helen. This name was borne by Eleanor of Aquitaine (12th century), the wife of both Louis VII, the king of France, and Henry II, the king of England. More recently it was borne by the wife of American president Franklin Roosevelt.