Lainey
Lainey was the 30th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 5,738 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 546 places. More babies were named Lainey in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Elaine · English
Say it LAY-nee /ˈleɪni/
- Rank in 2025
- #30 girls, up 336 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 5,738girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20255,738 babies
- Total since 1880
- 28,431babies recorded
What does the name Lainey mean?
Lainey is an English pet form of Elaine, according to Wiktionary, so its meaning is that of Elaine. Wiktionary takes Elaine from an Old French variant of Elene, the same name as Helen, which goes back to Greek Helene; it notes that a Celtic origin has also been suggested because the name appears in the Arthurian legends.
How sure is this? Probable. Lainey is a pet form; the origin of Elaine (Greek Helene, or possibly Celtic) is itself uncertain.
See also: English names.
Lainey popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 10 since 2022, 5 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #30 | 5,738 |
| 2020 | #366 | 844 |
| 2010 | #618 | 476 |
| 2000 | #1,223 | 163 |
| 1990 | #2,165 | 60 |
| 1980 | #5,385 | 13 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Lainey, counting every spelling?
Lainey is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #32 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #30 for Lainey on its own. Together these spellings went to 6,265 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lainey | 5,738 | #30 | 17,762 |
| Laynie | 172 | #1,296 | 695 |
| Laynee | 121 | #1,698 | 536 |
| Lainee | 129 | #1,618 | 498 |
| Lainie | 52 | #3,122 | 197 |
| Layni | 25 | #5,170 | 143 |
| Layney | 10 | #9,819 | 54 |
| Laini | 10 | #9,808 | 34 |
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 Lainey?
5,738 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Lainey (1.59 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Lainey born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 34. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 1 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Lainey.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Lainey?
About 28,200 people born in the US named Lainey are alive today, with a median age of 3; half are between 2 and 10. That makes Lainey a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Lainey by state
How common Lainey was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Wyoming (5.6×), South Dakota (4.9×), North Dakota (4.3×), West Virginia (4.2×), Montana (4.2×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Rhode Island, California, New York.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Lainey: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Lainey, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Lainey · Sibling names for Lainey
Lainey is also a nickname for Alaina, Elaina and Elaine.
Questions about the name Lainey
What does Lainey mean?
Lainey means “pet form of Elaine” (English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Lainey?
Lainey was the 30th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 5,738 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 546 places. More babies were named Lainey in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Lainey a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Lainey in the US.
Where is Lainey most popular?
In 2021–2025, Lainey was most common in Wyoming (12.20 per 1,000 girls), followed by South Dakota and North Dakota.