Elaine
Girl name · #304 in 2025 · Uniqueness 29/100
Elaine ranks #304 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 1,007 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #674, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,787 girls born in 2025 was named Elaine.
The 145-year story
Elaine first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1947, when 7,059 girls were named Elaine — good for #50 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Elaine per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Elaine against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Elaine in class?
Elaine scores 29 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "popular" band. A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Elaine is most common
Geography matters for names, and Elaine is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Elaines were TX (127), CA (93), OH (45), NC (40), NY (40). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Elaine
Statistically, parents drawn to Elaine tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Catherine, Jane, Bonnie, Eileen, and Maxine.
CatherineJaneBonnieEileenMaxineSylviaJacquelineLorraine
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Elaine | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,007 | #304 |
| 2024 | 849 | #368 |
| 2023 | 808 | #381 |
| 2022 | 685 | #463 |
| 2021 | 647 | #486 |
| 2020 | 583 | #519 |
| 2019 | 545 | #563 |
| 2018 | 470 | #636 |
| 2017 | 507 | #590 |
| 2016 | 498 | #604 |
| 2015 | 423 | #674 |
| 2014 | 439 | #650 |
| 2013 | 360 | #752 |
| 2012 | 400 | #702 |
| 2011 | 399 | #699 |
| 2010 | 343 | #797 |
| 2009 | 371 | #766 |
| 2008 | 399 | #742 |
| 2007 | 406 | #720 |
| 2006 | 393 | #718 |
| 2005 | 469 | #606 |
| 2004 | 413 | #662 |
| 2003 | 427 | #629 |
| 2002 | 399 | #637 |
| 2001 | 408 | #614 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Elaine a popular girl name?
Elaine ranked #304 among girls in 2025 with 1,007 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #674.
When was the name Elaine most popular?
Elaine peaked in 1947, when 7,059 American girls received the name (ranked #50 that year). Since 1947 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Elaine?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,787 newborn American girls was named Elaine. It scores 29/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "popular".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.