Hello everyone, currently, old-fashioned names are back in trend. How do you feel about the name [name_f]Elaine[/name_f]? In English-speaking countries, the name seems to be outdated, but in non-English-speaking European countries, it is not. Would you consider giving your newborn daughter the name? We are considering it but feel unsure.
Besides that our other options would be [name_f]Elysia[/name_f], [name_f]Eliora[/name_f] or [name_f]Liora[/name_f].
Which European countries are you talking about? [name_f]Elaine[/name_f] (pronounced the way it is in English) would exist in almost no countries in Europe.
That said, while [name_f]Elaine[/name_f] does feel a tiny bit dated, I wouldnāt be at all surprised to hear it on a baby, and the energetic nicknames [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] and [name_f]Lainey[/name_f] help make it feel youthful and fresh! Itās not my style, but itās a fine choice! I personally like [name_f]Liora[/name_f] the best, but all your options are lovely.
I am from [name_u]Germany[/name_u] and I have actually heard the name quite often. It is still relatively rare, but it has gained some popularity, similar to the name [name_f]Eloise[/name_f], [name_f]Emilia[/name_f] etc.
Oh, itās lovely! I think this āgrandma nameā by American standards is ready for a revival! Sheās got a familiar [name_f]El[/name_f]- beginning as do the popular [name_f]Eloise[/name_f], [name_f]Elowen[/name_f], [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], etc. but a more unique rank! [name_f]Elaine[/name_f] is super sweet.
[name_f]Elaine[/name_f] does feel a little dated - but itās possibly a generational/UK thing in which I always think of āElaine the Painā from the [name_u]Tracy[/name_u] Beaker universeā¦
Still, itās not bad, and it comes with nice nickname options - [name_f]Lainey[/name_f], [name_f]Elle[/name_f], [name_u]Laine[/name_u], [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_f]Leni[/name_f], [name_f]Ela[/name_f] - so I wouldnāt write it off
elaine is sweet !! it does feel very dated to me, very much of my mumās generation, but i can completely get why it became popular in the first place, and can see it coming back. i think iād personally prefer something like helaine or roselaine, but it does have a pretty sound i love the gorgeous nickname lainey <3
It does feel a little dated to me, but much more usable than many of the other names from that timeframe! For me, I feel like the versions of names ending in an a refresh them a little bit. So Elena/Elaina sounds more fresh and new than [name_f]Elaine[/name_f] (Clara vs [name_f]Claire[/name_f], [name_f]Lilia[/name_f] vs [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_f]Camilla[/name_f] vs [name_u]Camille[/name_u], etc.). That could be an alternative if you decide [name_f]Elaine[/name_f] might feel too dated for you. On the other hand, I feel the more common [name_f]Elena[/name_f] still freshens up [name_f]Elaine[/name_f] on its own, which may be why it feels much more usable than many names from that generation
This is my name, and I absolutely love it!
Iām a 90s kid, so it was dated when I was growing up. I was pretty neutral about having an āold ladyā name growing up, but I found humor in it. I would even make jokes about my grandma name. Now Iāve grown to really appreciate it. People have told me I āre-defineā the name for them because they see it as an older name, so meeting a younger person with the name helps freshen it up. Whatever your daughterās personality, it will define Elaine for whoever she meets!
Somethings I love about it:
Everyone knows how to pronounce it. Some say EE-lane and others UH-lane, but that difference doesnāt bother me.
Vast majority of people can spell it without help.
It has the benefit of being more classic and more rare than the alternatives (Alaina et al). Iāve met other Elaines but none my age. Iāve met way more Elena/Alayna/Elainas and all the spellings and the āuhā ending make them less special imo. Every other girl name ends in āuhā, and I love that mine doesnāt. Iām obviously biased, but I feel Elaine is far superior to alternatives; it is able to be more unique and more classic at the same time.
I do not go by any nicknames, but they are available. I have a lot that are used by close family only (Lainer, Lainey, Lane, E).
Honestly the only downside is that people sometimes asked if I was named for the Seinfeld character.
From personal experience, I highly endorse this name!
Thank you for your detailed answer!! It was really enjoyable reading your comment.
I think people who know about the Seinfeld are already way too old to tell my daughter anyway. The newborns are the new generation and most of them wonāt even associate the name with āold peopleā i hope.