Elaine

Meaning: To shine, burn, or glow
Origin: French (from Old French, from Greek) — Variant of Helen · From Proto-Indo-European root swel-

Nicknames: Lainey

Girl's name · #305 in the US (2025) · Comeback

Popularity over time

Elaine was #42 in 1938, slipped to #797 by 2010, and has climbed back to #305 today. Roughly 263,000 girls have been named Elaine since 1880.

Across the states

See where Elaine is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 38 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Elaine ranks in other countries and regions.

#198 in Ecuador (2025) · #641 in Ireland (2025) · #668 in Scotland (2025) · #899 in Austria (2025) · #1,139 in England & Wales (2025) · #2,006 in Switzerland (2025) · #475 in Canada (2024).

Famous Elaines

Elaine Thompson-Herah — Jamaican athletics competitor
Elaine Chao — 18th United States Secretary of Transportation and 24th United States Secretary of Labor
Elaine Paige — English singer, stage actress and radio presenter
Elaine May — American screenwriter, film director, actress, and comedian (born 1932)
Elaine Hendrix — American actress

In stories & tradition

Elaine Benes — Seinfeld (TV series)
Elaine of Astolat — Le Morte d'Arthur (book)
Elaine Marley — Monkey Island (video game series)

What Elaines become

Among 731 notable people named Elaine:

Entertainers appear 1.51× more often than among typical names — e.g. Elaine Paige, English singer, stage actress and radio presenter.

Spellings & nicknames

About 3,600 girls a year are given Lainey as their full name.

Similar names: Elaina · Bonnie · Elisa · Lorraine · Dorothy · Maxine

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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