Given name
Elaina
“the shining light”
Elaina is a variant of Elaine. In French use, Elaine carries the interpretation “the shining light.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Elaina is a variant of Elaine. In French use, Elaine carries the interpretation “the shining light.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Elaina is a form of Elaine. Elaine comes from Old French, and ultimately from Ancient Greek.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1941. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Elaina is a variant of Elaine. The history of Elaine gives this family its wider story. Elaine’s literary history includes the stories of King Arthur and his knights.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Elaina through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 32,220
- 0 boys · 32,220 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 1,256 babies
- 2025
- 1,176
- #267 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +1%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,176 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 267 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 1.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (114). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 23,181 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Elaina’s family of names
Elaina has a related form in Elaine. In English usage, Elaina has a conventional equivalent in the Russian form Элайна. In English usage, Elaina has a conventional equivalent in the Japanese form エレーナ.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Elaina has relatives in 3 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
3 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Elaina
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Elaina, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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