Nameling

Elaine

Gender
Girl
Say it
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Origin
Greek
UK rank, 2025
#1,085 for girls
US rank, 2025
#304 for girls

Elaine is a girls' name of Greek origin. In 2025 it ranked 1,085th for girls in the UK (33 babies) and 304th for girls in the US (1,007 babies).

What does Elaine mean?

Greek: Old French form of Helen

In Arthurian legend Elaine is the name of several ladies, including Elaine of Astolat, the Lady of Shalott.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Elaine a girl's or a boy's name?

Elaine is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 33 girls in the UK and 1,007 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.

How popular is Elaine in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#1,085among girls
Babies in 2025
33about 1 in 8,400 girls
Five-year trend
Risingup 64% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 33 girls in the UK were named Elaine, making it the 1,085th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,647th. Its busiest year was 1996, with 41 girls.

2025 had more girls named Elaine than any year since 1998.

Half of all the girls named Elaine in the UK since 1996 were born between 2000 and 2019. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.

Among girls in 2025, it was 1,133rd in England and Wales and 632nd in Scotland.

In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1944 (#50), 1954 (#18), 1964 (#43) and 1974 (#78).

1996Busiest: 41 in 19962025
Elaine in the UK, year by year
YearGirlsRank
202533#1,085
202429#1,208
202320#1,611
202231#1,150
202121#1,553
202019#1,647
201917#1,793
201814#2,088
201720#1,647
201618#1,781
201516#1,900
201415#1,976
201316#1,874
201220#1,615
201117#1,755
201019#1,635
200920#1,507
200818#1,620
200715#1,784
200614#1,764
200517#1,451
200415#1,561
200324#1,056
200222#1,085
200125#955
200024#987
199929#837
199838#717
199739#707
199641#644

How popular is Elaine in the US?

Rank in 2025
#304among girls
Babies in 2025
1,007about 1 in 1,600 girls
Five-year trend
Risingup 67% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 1,007 girls in the US were named Elaine, making it the 304th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 519th. Its busiest year was 1947, with 7,059 girls.

It has been given to more girls each year for the last 7 years. 2025 had more girls named Elaine than any year since 1972.

Half of all the girls named Elaine in the US since 1880 were born between 1935 and 1959, the years shaded on the chart below.

1880Busiest: 7,059 in 19472025
Elaine in the US, year by year
YearGirlsRank
20251,007#304
2024849#368
2023808#381
2022685#463
2021647#486
2020583#519
2019545#563
2018470#636
2017507#590
2016498#604
2015423#674
2014439#650
2013360#752
2012400#702
2011399#699
2010343#797
2009371#766
2008399#742
2007406#720
2006393#718
2005469#606
2004413#662
2003427#629
2002399#637
2001408#614
2000453#576
1999462#544
1998481#523
1997452#526
1996531#470
1995541#467
1994567#447
1993562#444
1992603#421
1991610#418
1990632#409
1989673#376
1988707#350
1987669#355
1986664#358
1985655#360
1984617#371
1983795#293
1982777#313
1981784#309
1980771#313
1979782#306
1978757#310
1977864#274
1976782#292
1975860#282
1974950#267
1973994#253
19721,066#252
19711,287#233
19701,437#217
19691,683#191
19681,705#189
19671,777#182
19662,059#166
19652,498#149
19642,826#142
19633,121#134
19623,614#125
19613,868#118
19604,315#112
19594,454#105
19584,743#101
19575,013#96
19565,310#89
19555,635#77
19545,825#74
19535,496#77
19525,650#73
19516,069#66
19506,037#60
19496,214#57
19486,403#53
19477,059#50
19466,803#47
19455,887#44
19445,629#46
19435,966#46
19425,986#45
19415,376#44
19404,782#50
19394,785#45
19384,835#42
19374,526#45
19364,259#50
19354,080#51
19343,900#54
19333,572#61
19323,575#68
19313,622#72
19303,954#69
19293,852#67
19284,004#68
19274,110#69
19264,004#68
19253,776#73
19243,802#73
19233,212#87
19222,792#102
19212,922#97
19202,433#107
19191,688#136
19181,473#152
19171,281#160
19161,236#161
19151,212#155
1914568#221
1913411#238
1912313#252
1911199#273
1910195#278
1909139#309
1908129#313
1907103#343
190682#376
190579#380
190457#428
190353#435
190248#454
190143#452
190050#478
189927#593
189829#597
189730#537
189638#467
189521#685
189420#664
189324#571
189222#590
189116#669
189012#791
18898#950
18887#1,036
18876#1,036
18865#1,108
18850–
18845#1,024
18835#920
18820–
18810–
18805#836

Nicknames for Elaine

Names like Elaine

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Daphne Charlotte Billie Bonnie Alice Eloise Irene Catherine Katherine Dottie Delphine Eunice

Names related to Elaine

Elina Elin Elaina Elana Elan Eline Aline Elani Elanie

More Greek names

Luca Theodore Sophia George Theo Lucas Sofia Alexander Sebastian Penelope Phoebe Margot Luke Chloe Sophie Zoe

Every Greek name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Elaine: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/elaine, updated 20 October 2026.