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At a Glance: Name: Elaine – Meaning: shining light (disputed) – Origin: Old French (from Helen, a Welsh derivation also proposed) – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: ih-LAYN
Elaine is a vintage name with a classic, romantic, storybook feel, pronounced ih-LAYN. It comes from Old French by way of Helen, though a Welsh origin has also been proposed. You'll often hear it explained as meaning 'shining light' — that's the traditional story, but a competing theory ties it to a Welsh word for 'young deer,' so the meaning isn't fully settled.
Meaning & Origin of Elaine
Meaning: Shining light (disputed).
Origin: Old French (from Helen, a Welsh derivation also proposed).
A common claim: bright, shining light, form of Helen Actually: This is the traditional and most common explanation, but not the only one — a competing theory derives Elaine from a Welsh word for 'young deer', so 'shining light' isn't certain.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Elaine
Phonetic: ih-LAYN IPA: /ɪˈleɪn/
Popularity of Elaine
Elaine hit its high point at #42 in 1938, when 4,834 babies were given the name, and by 2024 had settled to #369 with 843.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
Make Elaine Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Elaine, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Elaine mean?
Shining light (disputed). (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Elaine)
How do you pronounce Elaine?
Elaine is pronounced ih-LAYN (IPA: /ɪˈleɪn/).
Is Elaine a popular name right now?
Elaine peaked at #42 in 1938 and is ranked #369 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
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