Elayna
Elayna was the 1301st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 171 babies. Its best year was 2012, when it ranked 1109th; the most babies were born in 2014 (228). Over the last ten years it has moved down 76 places. More babies were named Elayna in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Elaina) variant of Elaine (Helen) · Greek, French
- Rank in 2025
- #1,301 girls, down 64 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 171girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2014228 babies
- Total since 1880
- 5,251babies recorded
What does the name Elayna mean?
Elayna is a spelling of Elaina, pronounced the same way, so it shares Elaina's meaning and origin.
Elaina is a modern spelling variant of Elaine, according to Wiktionary. Elaine is the Old French form of Helen that spread through the Arthurian romances, as DMNES notes in its Ellen entry. Helen goes back to Greek Helenē, whose ultimate origin is uncertain; the often-repeated link with Greek words for "torch" or "light" is not established. Elaina, like Elena and Alaina, is mainly a 20th-century American spelling.
Ἑλένη (Ancient Greek, “Helen (origin uncertain)”)
How sure is this? Well established. Elaina as a variant of Elaine is clear; the meaning of the root name Helen is uncertain.
Other explanations you may read: Helen means 'light' or 'torch'.
Related names: Elaine, Elena, Alaina, Helen.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Elaina', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Ellen', DMNES, Durham University
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Elayna popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,301 | 171 |
| 2020 | #1,237 | 184 |
| 2010 | #1,236 | 195 |
| 2000 | #1,834 | 94 |
| 1990 | #3,381 | 32 |
| 1980 | #4,797 | 15 |
| 1970 | #6,536 | 7 |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Elayna, counting every spelling?
Elayna is a spelling of Elaina, a name family that ranked #225 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,301 for Elayna on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,536 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elaina | 1,176 | #267 | 6,005 |
| Elayna | 171 | #1,301 | 880 |
| Ilana | 71 | #2,496 | 419 |
| Eleina | 33 | #4,287 | 156 |
| Ilona | 38 | #3,861 | 124 |
| Ellaina | 10 | #9,635 | 81 |
| Elainna | 10 | #9,629 | 44 |
| Elainah | 6 | #13,677 | 34 |
| Ellayna | 5 | #15,574 | 32 |
| Elaena | 7 | #12,262 | 32 |
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 Elayna?
171 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Elayna (0.05 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Elayna 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 49 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Elayna.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Elayna?
About 5,200 people born in the US named Elayna are alive today, with a median age of 14; half are between 8 and 22. That makes Elayna mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Elayna by state
How common Elayna was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Michigan (1.6×), Missouri (1.6×), Indiana (1.6×), Ohio (1.5×). In 26 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Elayna: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Elayna, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Elayna
What does Elayna mean?
Elayna is a spelling of Elaina, which means “variant of Elaine (Helen)” (Greek, French origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Elayna?
Elayna was the 1301st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 171 babies. Its best year was 2012, when it ranked 1109th; the most babies were born in 2014 (228). Over the last ten years it has moved down 76 places. More babies were named Elayna in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Elayna a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Elayna in the US.
Where is Elayna most popular?
In 2021–2025, Elayna was most common in Arkansas (0.19 per 1,000 girls), followed by Oregon and Michigan.