Elaine
Girl name · #304 in 2025 · Distinctive
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. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Elaine against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Elaine in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Elaine is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Elaine is most common
Geography matters for names, and Elaine is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Elaine is most common in IA (2.1 per 1,000), NE (1.7 per 1,000), KS (1.6 per 1,000), ID (1.5 per 1,000), WI (1.5 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.8 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Elaine is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
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. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
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.