Girl · #262 in 2026

Elaina

Elena is a popular female given name of Greek origin. The name means "shining light". Nicknames of the name Elena are Lena, Lennie, Ella, Ellie, Nellie, or Nena.

  • English
Current Rank
#262
Peak Rank
#250 (2024)
Total Babies
33K
5-Yr Trend
+2%
1941
First Year
2026
Last Year
2024
Peak Year
#250
Peak Rank
33K
Total Count
86
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Elaina

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Elena is a popular female given name of Greek origin. The name means "shining light". Nicknames of the name Elena are Lena, Lennie, Ella, Ellie, Nellie, or Nena.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English

The Story of Elaina

Elaina first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1941, with 15 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2024, when 1,252 Elainas were born — ranking #254 that year. As of 2026, Elaina ranks #262 for baby girls with 1,228 births, holding steady (+2%). In total, more than 33K Elainas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Elaina

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Elaina. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Elaina

Phonetically similar names — useful when Elaina is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Elaina

What does the name Elaina mean?
Elena is a popular female given name of Greek origin. The name means "shining light". Nicknames of the name Elena are Lena, Lennie, Ella, Ellie, Nellie, or Nena.
What is the origin of the name Elaina?
Elaina has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.
How popular is Elaina in 2026?
In 2026, Elaina ranks #262 among girls' names in the U.S., with 1,228 babies given the name that year.
When was Elaina most popular?
Elaina reached its peak popularity in 2024, ranking #250 that year with 1,252 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Elaina most popular?
Elaina has historically been most popular in West Virginia, Wyoming, Alaska. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Elaina.
Is Elaina a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Elaina is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Elaina?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Elaina include Nikita, Staci, Skyler. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Elaina?
Common variants and related forms of Elaina include Elaine, Lainey, Laney. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Elaina

Elaina is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1941 and has accumulated 33K births in the dataset. Elaina's peak popularity came in 2024 when it ranked #250. Use the chart and map above to compare Elaina's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.