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Elaine

Elaine is a girl's name of French origin meaning “young deer.” In 2024 it was given to 843 girls in the United States.

Elaine at a glance

Gender
Girl name
Origin
French · Irish & Celtic
Meaning
“young deer”
Pronunciation
/ɪˈleɪn/
Also spelled
Helen

About the name Elaine

Elaine belongs to the French and Irish & Celtic tradition. Its meaning — “young deer” — is the sense carried by its French roots, and it is the meaning we verified against published sources for this page. It travels in a few spellings: Helen.

In the United States, Elaine first appears in Social Security records in 1880. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #42 in 1938, and in 2024 843 babies received the name — 261,872 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.

Elaine in US records

First recorded (US)
1880
Best US rank
#42 in 1938
Peak year
1947
Babies named Elaine in 2024
843
Total since 1880
261,872

Elaine in England & Wales records

First recorded (since 1996)
1996
Best rank
#823 in 1996
Babies named Elaine in 2025
29
Total since 1996
561

Spellings & short forms

Helen

Similar names

More names from the French shelf:

KathleenFrenchAmyFrenchFrancesFrenchDianeFrenchJulieFrenchJoyceFrenchLaurenFrenchLillianFrench

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Elaine mean?

Elaine means “young deer” in its French roots. We check every meaning against published sources before it appears here.

Is Elaine a boy or girl name?

Elaine is a girl name. In 2024, 843 babies received the name in the US.

What origin is the name Elaine?

Elaine comes from the French and Irish & Celtic tradition. It is also spelled Helen.

How popular is the name Elaine?

Elaine first appears in US records in 1880. Its best-ever ranking was #42 in 1938, and 843 babies were given the name in 2024.

How do you pronounce Elaine?

Elaine is pronounced /ɪˈleɪn/ (IPA).

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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. England & Wales figures are from the Office for National Statistics. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.