Ellie Goulding's Real Name: Elena Jane Goulding

Quick answer: Ellie Goulding's real name is Elena Jane Goulding. She was born on December 30, 1986, in Hereford, Herefordshire, England. "Ellie" is a shortened form of Elena (Grammy.com; Library of Congress).

Early life and the name "Ellie"

Goulding grew up in Herefordshire. Her parents, Arthur and Tracey Goulding, separated when she was young; her father worked as a funeral director. She studied drama and English at the University of Kent and began writing songs while performing at small UK venues. The stage name simply shortens her given first name; court and rights filings still list Elena Jane Goulding (LOC NAF).

Breakthrough: *Lights* and the UK charts

Polydor signed her after industry buzz around her early demos. Key early milestones:

• 2010: Debut album Lights entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 1. Singles included "Starry Eyed" and "Guns and Horses."
• Her cover of Elton John's "Your Song" (BBC Children in Need) peaked at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart.
• "Lights" became a slow-burn international hit and later a US Top 10 single (Billboard; Grammy.com).

*Halcyon*, *Delirium* and "Love Me Like You Do"

Her second album, Halcyon (2012), and the reissue Halcyon Days pushed her toward bigger electronic-pop production, with hits such as "Anything Could Happen" and "Burn." In 2015 she scored a worldwide smash with "Love Me Like You Do" from the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack; the song earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 58th Grammy Awards, and she performed it on the Grammy stage with Andra Day (Grammy.com). The related album Delirium (2015) continued that commercial peak.

Later work, activism and personal life

Later albums include Brightest Blue (2020) and Higher Than Heaven (2023). Goulding has campaigned on environmental and LGBTQ+ issues and is a known distance runner who has invited fans on group runs. She was appointed MBE for services to biodiversity and conservation. She married art dealer Caspar Jopling in 2019; the couple later separated, and she has two children.