Elaine
An Old French form of Helen, from Greek Helene, whose meaning is debated, with torch and light among the proposals. Arthurian romance carried the spelling into English.
Elaine in 2025
Elaine was given to 1,007 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 652nd most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 3,292 babies born.
The history of Elaine
Elaine reached its highest point in 1947, when 7,072 babies were given the name, ranking 100th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 85th, in 1938.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 263,543 babies have been named Elaine. Half of them were born before 1947, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Elaine by decade
| Decade | Babies named Elaine | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 41 | 1,617 |
| 1890s | 239 | 762 |
| 1900s | 783 | 481 |
| 1910s | 8,582 | 235 |
| 1920s | 35,018 | 118 |
| 1930s | 41,254 | 85 |
| 1940s | 60,260 | 87 |
| 1950s | 54,320 | 115 |
| 1960s | 27,545 | 213 |
| 1970s | 9,809 | 406 |
| 1980s | 7,150 | 559 |
| 1990s | 5,441 | 780 |
| 2000s | 4,138 | 1,074 |
| 2010s | 4,384 | 1,088 |
| 2020s | 4,579 | 652 |
Where Elaine is heading
Elaine has risen 138% over the past decade, from 423 babies in 2015 to 1,007 in 2025.
Names like Elaine
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Elaine.