Meanings
elaine1
- alternativeuncountableAlternative form of olein.
Elaine2
- A female given name from Ancient Greek.
Elaine the fair, Elaine the lovable, Elaine, the lily maid of Astolat, High in her chamber up a tower to the east Guarded the sacred shield of Lancelot;
1859, Alfred Tennyson, Lancelot and Elaine1 more example
My own mother named me after her best friend, as women did in those days. Elaine, which I once found too plaintive. I wanted something more definite, a monosyllable: Dot or Pat, like a foot set down. Nothing you could make a mistake about; nothing watery. But my name has solidified around me, with time. I think of it as tough but pliable now, like a well-worn glove.
1988, Margaret Atwood, Cat's Eye, page 278
Origin
- Ancient GreekἙλένη
- Old FrenchElaine
- EnglishElaine
From Old French Elaine, a variant of Elene, cognate to Helen, ultimately from Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē). A Celtic origin has also been suggested since the name appears in Arthurian legend. Doublet of Helen.
More words from Old French, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
French Élaine
- Élainefemale given name
Portuguese Elaine
- Elainefemale given name
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with elaine
Anagrams
Cite this entry
elaine. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elaine
“elaine.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elaine. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “elaine,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elaine.
Source: elaine on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.