Elaine
Elaine was the 305th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,007 babies. Its best year was 1938, when it ranked 42nd; the most babies were born in 1947 (7,059). Over the last ten years it has moved up 370 places. More babies were named Elaine in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Meaning Old French form of Helen · Greek, French
Say it ih-LAYN /ɪˈleɪn/
- Rank in 2025
- #305 girls, up 214 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,007girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19477,059 babies
- Total since 1880
- 263,543babies recorded
What does the name Elaine mean?
Elaine is an Old French form of Helen. DMNES notes that the popularity of Elaine was driven by the several women of that name in the medieval Arthurian romances, among them the mother of Galahad. Wiktionary adds that a Celtic origin has also been suggested because of the Arthurian setting. Helen itself is Greek and of uncertain meaning.
Ἑλένη (Ancient Greek, “Helen (meaning uncertain)”)
How sure is this? Probable. As a form of Helen it is standard; Helen's own meaning is uncertain, and a Celtic source has been suggested.
Related names: Helen, Elena, Ellen, Elaina, Lainey.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Elaine', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Ellen', DMNES, Durham University
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Elaine', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
Nicknames for Elaine
The usual nicknames for Elaine are Lainey. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Elaine in the last five years, 444 were named Lainey, against 63 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lainey · also for Alaina, Elaina | Traditional | #30 | 17,762 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Elaines go by each one.
Elaine popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 653 since 1918.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #305 | 1,007 |
| 2020 | #519 | 583 |
| 2010 | #797 | 343 |
| 2000 | #576 | 453 |
| 1990 | #409 | 632 |
| 1980 | #313 | 771 |
| 1970 | #217 | 1,437 |
| 1960 | #112 | 4,315 |
| 1950 | #60 | 6,037 |
| 1940 | #50 | 4,782 |
| 1930 | #69 | 3,954 |
| 1920 | #107 | 2,433 |
| 1910 | #279 | 195 |
| 1900 | #479 | 50 |
| 1890 | #800 | 12 |
| 1880 | #857 | 5 |
How popular is Elaine, counting every spelling?
Elaine is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #310 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #305 for Elaine on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,066 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elaine | 1,007 | #305 | 3,996 |
| Elayne | 40 | #3,732 | 163 |
| Ilene | 19 | #6,202 | 96 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Elaine?
1,007 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Elaine (0.28 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Elaine born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 8 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Elaine.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Elaine?
About 144,600 people born in the US named Elaine are alive today, with a median age of 70; half are between 58 and 78. That makes Elaine a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Elaine by state
How common Elaine was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Nebraska (2.3×), Iowa (2.2×), Kansas (2.1×), Idaho (2.1×), Wisconsin (2.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Connecticut, Mississippi, New Mexico.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Elaine: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Elaine, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Elaine · Sibling names for Elaine
Questions about the name Elaine
What does Elaine mean?
Elaine means “Old French form of Helen” (Greek, French origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Elaine?
Elaine was the 305th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,007 babies. Its best year was 1938, when it ranked 42nd; the most babies were born in 1947 (7,059). Over the last ten years it has moved up 370 places. More babies were named Elaine in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Is Elaine a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Elaine in the US.
Where is Elaine most popular?
In 2021–2025, Elaine was most common in Nebraska (1.11 per 1,000 girls), followed by Iowa and Kansas.