The Baby Name Wizard

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Contribute to, or edit, this collection of community wisdom on the name Elaine!

Comments and insights on the name Elaine: | Edit

I am an Elaine born in 1975 and I love my name. Although pretty much everyone I meet has a grandmother with my name, or it's their middle name, it makes it unique for my age group, but not too strange. I do get called Ellen and Eileen quite often, and respond to anything that starts with an "E." I do like being called Lainey by my husband and close friends, and think it's a great nickname. My middle name is Catherine. My brother's name is Robert.

Personal experiences with the name Elaine: | Edit

Born in 1978, I had no classmates with the name Elaine--in fact, there were none in my entire school system! I enjoyed never having to go by Elaine 'initial' unlike Jennifers and Sarahs in my classes. I knew several Elaines in my parents' generation, which made it feel like a bit out-of-date when I was a teenager, but overall I really like the uniqueness and I hardly ever have to spell it (which was great when I had a very unusual maiden name). I never had a nickname that stuck, although one friend would sometimes call me 'Lainey' and one boyfriend called me 'MissElaineous'. The name is often pronounced with either a long or short E, which bothered me when I was little but I stopped correcting people a long time ago when they used the short E. That's just a matter of preference, however. Overall, I think it's a beautiful name and I am very fond of it.

My little sister is named Elaine. She absolutely loves her name, and thinks it's beautiful. She loves that people can spell it, even if they can't pronounce it. She was named for an inspiring person to me, because I got to choose her name. Her twin is Frederick.

I'm an Elaine born in 1980, and I've never liked my name. It's a family name and always sounded like an old lady to me. At the same time, my family calls me Lainie, which always sounded childish. As a kid, I could never find a key chain with my name on it (that's not fun when you're 8). I also get called Irene, Eileen, Emily, and Melanie on a regular basis. Be warned.

Nicknames for Elaine: | Edit

Laine, Lainie, Lainey, Ellie, Nell, Nellie, Misselaineous

Elle

Meanings and history of the name Elaine: | Edit

Im a Elaine born in 1975 and like the first girl there's always somebody whose grandmother's, or great-grandmother's name is Elaine, or also someone's middle name. A lot of people say it's an older name, and nobody hardly ever name their babies Elaine anymore, and all I can say to that is that it's better for me! That way as years go by I become more and more unique. I have also gotten a lot of compliments specially by guys saying that I got an elegant name and all...some of my nicknames are Lane, Lainey, one friend decided she was going to call me Lele...clueless why!! haha As my middle name is Cristina, some friends call me Chris. But my main, and most used nickname by family is Nane. Coming from a Italian-Portuguese family, of course Elaine is pronounced differently and my brother couldn't say it, and the only version he could manage was Nane..... it still is to this day! I love my name... and the source of inspiration my mom used was even better, it suits me in every possible way LOL

Famous real-life people named Elaine: | Edit

Elaine de Kooning, American painter
Elaine Lobl (E.L.) Konigsburg, American children's book author
Elaine May, American director, screenwriter, and actress
Elaine Paige, singer/actress
Elaine Chao, U.S. Secretary of Labor
Elaine Pagels, American professor of religion and author of scholarly and popular books on the Gnostic gospels

Elaine in song, story & screen: | Edit

Elaine, the Lily Maid of Astolat in Arthurian legend. Also known as the Lady of Shalott, as in Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem series "Idylls of the King"

Elaine Benes (portrayed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a character on the American television comedy Seinfeld

"Lady Elaine Fairchild", character on children's television program "Mister Roger's Neighborhood"