Elaine
Elaine is a feminine given name, an Old French form of the name Helen. The name Elaine was popularized in the Anglosphere by its use by Alfred, Lord Tennyson for a character in his 1859 Arthurian romance Idylls of the King. It has also been suggested that the name might actually be derived from a Welsh word meaning 'young deer'.
- English
- Arthurian Cycle
Meaning & Origin of Elaine
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Elaine is a feminine given name, an Old French form of the name Helen. The name Elaine was popularized in the Anglosphere by its use by Alfred, Lord Tennyson for a character in his 1859 Arthurian romance Idylls of the King. It has also been suggested that the name might actually be derived from a Welsh word meaning 'young deer'.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Arthurian Cycle
The Story of Elaine
The earliest SSA record of Elaine as a baby girl name dates back to 1880, when 5 babies received it. 1947 was its biggest year on record, with 7,058 newborns named Elaine — #50 in the national rankings. The 1940s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 23% of all recorded Elaines. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #342 among baby girl names with 901 births, rising sharply (+49% over the past five years). In total, more than 264K Elaines have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Elaine
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Elaine. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Elaine
Phonetically similar names — useful when Elaine 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 Elaine
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About the name Elaine
Elaine is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 264K births in the dataset. Elaine's peak popularity came in 1947 when it ranked #42. Use the chart and map above to compare Elaine's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1947 →
- Names of the 1940s →
- Names starting with "E" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.