Elaine means shining light — the Old French form of Helen, the same radiance filtered through medieval French romance. Elaine of Astolat died of unrequited love for Lancelot — the Lady of Shalott. Seinfeld's Elaine Benes is the funniest woman in sitcom history. Two syllables of Arthurian tragedy, Seinfeld comedy, and the shining light that dies for love.
Elaine is the Old French form of Helen meaning shining light. In Arthurian legend, Elaine of Astolat died of unrequited love for Lancelot — she is the subject of Tennyson's The Lady of Shalott. Seinfeld's Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is the funniest woman in sitcom history.
2
First recorded
Earliest known use: Arthurian legend; Seinfeld (1989).
3
Today
Elaine remains a beloved choice, ranking #529 in the US. 262,525 babies have been named Elaine since 1880.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, Oxford Dictionary of First Names, SSA data
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How popular is Elaine?
1947peak year
Today, Elaine is rarely chosen — ranked around #529, with only about 600 babies given the name per year. But it wasn't always this way. At its peak in 1947, 7,058 babies were given the name (ranked #50 nationally). Its strongest stretch was the 1940s. Elaine has been trending upward in recent years. In all, around 262,525 babies have been registered as Elaine since 1880.
Year-by-year registrations1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
Elaine's Life Path 7 is the seeker's number — seeking love's light. People named Elaine tend to be luminous, funny, and gifted at containing both Arthurian tragedy and Seinfeld comedy.
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Contains tragedy and comedy
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Luminous seeker
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Lady-of-Shalott depth
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Benes-level comedy
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French-Helen radiance
E5
L3
A1
I9
N5
E5
Sum: 28 → Life path 1
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Personality of Elaine
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Independent & bold
These individuals chart their own course. They lead, they don't follow.
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Ambitious drive
Quiet determination sits behind everything they do.
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Original ideas
Their minds work differently — seeing angles others walk past.
Every name has a homeland. Discover beautiful girl names rooted in cultures from around the world — each with full meanings, origin stories and pronunciation.