Elany is likely a modern form influenced by Elaine, Elaina, or names beginning with El-.
Elany belongs to the radiant family of names descending from the ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helene), whose root has been variously interpreted as meaning "torch," "shining light," or "the bright one." Helen of Troy—whose face, according to Christopher Marlowe, launched a thousand ships—is the name's most mythologically potent ancestor, but the lineage runs through centuries of Christian sanctity as well: Saint Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, discovered (according to tradition) the True Cross in Jerusalem in the 4th century and was venerated across the Byzantine and Latin churches. The name traveled through French as Elaine, Elène, and Hélène, becoming Elaine in the Arthurian romances where it appears as the mother of Galahad and the lily maid of Astolat.
The variant form Elany likely emerged through the same creative feminization patterns that produced Brittany from Brittain, Tiffany from Theophania, and Melanie from Melanius—adding a soft -y or -ie to a classical root to create something that feels both ancient and freshly minted. It is phonetically close to Elanie, Elana, and Ilany (a Hebrew name meaning "my tree" or referring to the terebinth), drawing from multiple traditions simultaneously without being fully claimed by any one of them. In contemporary usage, Elany suits the current appetite for names that are graceful and feminine without being overly familiar.
It threads the needle between the enduring popularity of Ellie and Elena on one hand and the rarer, more distinctive register of Elowen or Elara on the other. Parents choosing Elany often describe wanting a name that feels classic in spirit but entirely their own in form—a feeling the name delivers reliably.