English. The name Helenora is probably derived from the eponymous heroine of the long pastoral narrative "Helenore, or the Fortunate Shepherdess" by Alexander Ross [1699-1784], a Forfarshire schoolmaster. This name has been written in the Parish Records of Rathen, Aberdeenshire as "Eleanora" but the family used Helenora as the preferred spelling.

As with Helen, in the 1841 Census of Aberdeenshire there are many spelling variations for Helenora. Most of these should be found with a Soundex search.