Elaine is a feminine given name, an Old French form of the name Helen. The name Elaine was popularized in the Anglosphere by its use by Alfred, Lord Tennyson for a character in his 1859 Arthurian romance Idylls of the King. It has also been suggested that the name might actually be derived from a Welsh word meaning 'young deer'.
Notable people with the name include:
Arts and entertainment Elaine Agnew (born 1967), Irish composer Elaine Anderson Steinbeck (1914–2003), American actress Elaine Anthony (1943–1996), American mixed media painter Elaine Arnold (1910–2006), American opera singer Elaine Badgley Arnoux (1926–2023), American visual artist Elaine Barkin (1932–2023), American composer, writer and educator Elaine Barrie (1915–2003), American actress Elaine Bass, American title designer and filmmaker Elaine Bedell, English television producer Elaine Bonazzi (1929–2019), American operatic mezzo-soprano Elaine Bradley (born 1984), American drummer Elaine Breiger, American painter Elaine Bromka (born 1950), American actress Elaine Brown (born 1943), American singer, writer, and former Black Panther Party chairwoman Elaine Cameron-Weir, Canadian artist Elaine Cancilla Orbach (1940–2009), American actress and dancer Elaine Carhartt (born 1951), American ceramist Elaine Carroll, American actress and writer Elaine Christy, American harpist Elaine Coghlan (1897–1989), Australian impressionist artist and art teacher Elaine Lustig Cohen (1927–2016), American artist and graphic designer Elaine Collins (born 1958), Scottish actress and producer Elaine Comparone, American harpsichordist Elaine Constantine, British writer and photographer Elaine Crombie, Australian actress Elaine Delmar (born 1939), British singer Elaine Devry (1930–2023), American actress Elaine Douvas, American oboist and musician Elaine Duillo (1928–2021), American painter and illustrator Elaine Dundy (1921–2008), American writer and actress Elaine Dunn, American singer, dancer and actress Elaine Duran (born 1998), Filipino singer and actress Elaine Ellis, Scottish actress Elaine Fifield (1930–1999), Australian ballerina Elaine Fine (born 1959), American musician and composer Elaine George, Australian model Elaine Giftos (born 1945), American actress Elaine Glover, English actress, singer and chef Elaine Goble (born 1956), Canadian visual artist Elaine M. Goodwin, British mosaic artist Elaine Grand (1926–2001), Canadian broadcaster Elaine Green (1940–2014), American television journalist Elaine Hamill, New Zealand actress Elaine Hamilton-O'Neal (1920–2010), American artist Elaine Hammerstein (1894–1948), American actress Elaine Haxton (1909–1999), Australian artist Elaine Hendrix (born 1970), American actress Elaine Hudson, Australian actress Elaine Hugh-Jones (1927–2021), Welsh pianist Elaine Irwin (born 1969), American model Elaine Ives-Cameron (1938–2006), British-American actress Elaine Jin (born 1954), Hong Kong–Taiwanese actress Elaine Joyce (born 1945), American actress Elaine Kao, American actress Elaine Keillor (born 1939), Canadian pianist Elaine A. King, American curator, critic professor and editor Elaine Kinsella (born 1981), Irish broadcaster Elaine de Kooning (1918–1989), American expressionist painter Elaine Kowalsky (1948–2005), Canadian printmaker and artists' rights campaigner Elaine Kraf (1936–2013), American novelist and painter Elaine Laron (1930–2013), American songwriter and lyricist Elaine Ling (c. 1946–2016), Canadian photographer Elaine Lordan (born 1966), English former actress Elaine Lui (born 1973), Canadian journalist Elaine Madsen (born 1932), American filmmaker and author Elaine Mai, Irish singer Elaine Malbin (born 1932), American opera singer Elaine Martone, American record producer Elaine May (born 1932), American film director, screenwriter and actress Elaine Mayes (born 1936), American photographer Elaine McDonald (1943–2018), Scottish ballerina Elaine McKenna (1937–1992), Australian singer Elaine Miles (born 1960), Native American actress Elaine Mitchener, British experimental singer Elaine Mukheli (born 1999), South African singer Elaine Mulqueen (1932–2012), American actress Elaine Murtagh, Irish singer and songwriter Elaine Ng (born 1972), Hong Kong actress Elaine Padmore, British opera administrator, broadcaster and author Elaine Paige (born 1948), English actress and singer Elaine Pope, American film producer and writer Elaine Princi (born 1946), American actress Elaine Proctor, South African film director Elaine Rapp (1927–2019), American sculptor, educator and art therapist Elaine Reichek, American visual artist Elaine Riley (1917–2015), American actress Elaine Shaffer (1925–1973), American flutist Elaine McMillion Sheldon, American documentary filmmaker Elaine Shepard (1913–1998), American actress Elaine Shore (1929–2007), American actress Elaine Stocki, Canadian photographer, painter and professor Elaine Stritch (1925–2014), American actress Elaine Sturtevant (1924–2014), American artist Elaine Summers (1925–2014), American choreographer, experimental filmmaker and intermedia pioneer Elaine Tan (born 1979), English actress Elaine Thornburgh, American musician Elaine Usher (1932–2014), English actress Elaine Hoffman Watts (1932–2017), American klezmer drummer Elaine Welteroth (born 1986), American journalist, editor, author and television host Elaine Willcox, English television presenter Elaine Yiu (born 1980), Hong Kong actress
Politics Elaine Alquist (1944–2024), American politician Elaine Andrews-Ahearn, American politician Élaine Ayotte, Canadian politician and diplomat Elaine Baxter (1933–2021), American politician and educator Elaine Beech (born 1960), American politician Elaine Bloom (born 1937), American politician Elaine Bowers (born 1963), American politician Elaine E. Bucklo (born 1944), American judge Elaine Carbines (born 1957), Australian politician Elaine Chao (born 1953), United States Secretary of Labor Elaine Coderre (born 1947), American politician Elaine Darling (1936–2019), Australian politician Elaine Edwards (1929–2018), American politician Elaine Farmer (1937–2001), American politician Elaine French, American politician Elaine Gannon (born 1953), American politician Elaine Gordon (1931–2000), American politician Elaine Gumbs-Vlaun (born 1944), St Maartener social worker and politician Elaine Hammers, American politician Elaine Harder (1947–2013), American politician and businesswoman Elaine Harvey (born 1954), American politician Elaine Hopson (born 1939), American politician Elaine Jentsch (born 1994), German politician Elaine D. Kaplan (born 1955), American judge Elaine Kellett-Bowman (1923–2014), British politician Elaine Lauterborn, American politician Elaine Luria (born 1975), American politician Elaine Marshall (born 1945), American politician Elaine Marzola, American politician Elaine Masukat, Filipino lawyer and government official Elaine McCart (1928–2021), American nurse and politician Elaine McCoy (1946–2020), Canadian politician Elaine McCusker, American government official Élaine Michaud (born 1985), Canadian politician Elaine Murray (born 1954), British politician Elaine Nekritz (born 1957), American politician Elaine Nile (1936–2011), Australian politician Elaine Noble (born 1944), American politician Elaine Phillips (born 1959), American politician Elaine Price, American politician Elaine Schwartz (born 1943), American politician Elaine Scruggs, American politician Elaine Sena Cortez, American politician Elaine Stack (died 2020), American judge Elaine Stuhr (born 1936), American politician Elaine Swinford, American politician Elaine Szymoniak (1920–2009), American politician Elaine Thomson (born 1957), Scottish politician Elaine Trepper (born 1955), Namibian politician Elaine Wells (born 1951), American politician Élaine Zakaïb (1959–2018), Canadian politician Elaine Ziemba, Canadian politician
Sports Elaine Allard (born 1977), Canadian wheelchair basketball player Elaine Aylward, camogie player Elaine Badrock, English footballer Elaine Barrett (born 1977), British Paralympic swimmer Elaine Bourbeau (born 1949), Canadian rower Elaine Bray (1940–1998), Australian cricketer Elaine Breeden (born 1988), American swimmer Elaine Burke, Irish camogie player Elaine Chan (born 1988), Hong Kong Olympic swimmer Elaine Cheris (born 1946), American Olympic fencer Elaine Chuli (born 1994), Canadian ice hockey goaltender Elaine Crosby (born 1958), American professional golfer Elaine Cunningham (cricketer), Jamaican cricketer Elaine Dagg-Jackson (born 1955), Canadian curler and coach Elaine Elliott (born 1955), American basketball player Elaine Emmanual, Jamaican cricketer Elaine Farquharson-Black (born 1968), Scottish amateur golfer Elaine Genovese (born 1991), Maltese tennis player Elaine Gray (born 1958), British swimmer Eliane Hugentobler (born 1981), Swiss ice dancer Elaine Jensen (born 1955), New Zealand field hockey player Elaine Kasilag (born 1994), Filipina volleyball player Elaine Koon (born 1993), Malaysian rhythmic gymnast Elaine Lister (born 1962), Scottish wheelchair curler Elaine McLaughlin (born 1963), Northern Irish hurdler Elaine E Moura (born 1982), Brazilian football (soccer) player Elaine Nolan (born 1981), Irish cricketer Elaine O'Connor (born 1982), Irish footballer Elaine Pedersen (1936–2000), American long-distance runner Elaine Pen (born 1990), Dutch equestrian Elaine Powell (born 1975), American basketball player Elaine Ratcliffe (born 1972), English amateur golfer Elaine Rosenthal (1896–1993), American golfer Elaine Roth (1929–2007), American baseball player Elaine Shenton, British tennis player Elaine Silburn (1928–2022), Canadian sprinter Elaine Sortino (1949–2013), American softball coach Elaine Tanner (born 1951), Canadian swimmer Elaine Teo (born 1981), Malaysian taekwondo practitioner Elaine Thompson-Herah (born 1992), Jamaican sprinter Elaine Tierney (born 1999), American rower Elaine Van Blunk (born 1964), American long-distance runner Elaine Vassie (born 1981), Scottish rugby union footballer and coach Elaine Watt (1929–1985), American equestrian Elaine Watt (barrel racer), Canadian barrel racer Elaine White (born 1944), New Zealand cricketer Elaine Willett (born 1956), British gymnast Elaine Wulcko (born 1959), English cricketer Elaine Youngs (born 1970), American beach volleyball player Elaine Zayak (born 1965), American figure skater
Others Elaine Abrams, American physician and epidemiologist Elaine M. Alphin (1955–2014), American novelist Elaine Anaya (1943–2021), First Lady of New Mexico Elaine Anderson (1936–2002), American paleontologist Elaine Aron (born 1944), American clinical research psychologist and author Elaine Avila, American dramatist Elaine Sweital Avner (1938–2017), American astronomer Elaine Baker, Australian marine geoscientist Elaine Bartlett, African American activist Elaine Batchlor, American rheumatologist Elaine Bearer, American neurobiologist and pathologist Elaine Bellew-Bryan, Baroness Bellew (born 1973), South African-born Irish nurse Elaine Bergstrom (born 1946), American novelist Elaine Bernard, Canadian historian Elaine Black Yoneda (1906–1988), American labor and civil rights activist Elaine Bossik, American novelist and screenwriter Elaine Brody (1922–2014), American gerontologist and sociologist Elaine Brown (born 1940), involved with a dispute with the US government Elaine Bullard (1915–2011), British botanist Elaine Campione, Canadian woman who murdered her two children Elaine Sterne Carrington (1891–1958), American dramatist Elaine Castillo (born 1984), American novelist Elaine M. Catley (1889–1984), Canadian poet Elaine Chen, academic specializing in the haptic technology field