Lainey
Gender
feminine
Origin
Categories
Meaning & Etymology
Lainey is a usually feminine given name or nickname with multiple origins and spelling variants. It originated in the Anglosphere as a short form of names such as Helen, Helena, Helene, Magdelena, and Delaney. The name Delaney, a surname, was used as a given name for girls in the Southern United States as early as the 1850s. Lainey and its variants were also used as short forms of the name Elaine, an Old French form of Helen, popularized by Alfred, Lord Tennyson in his 1859 work 'Idylls of the K...
Etymology
Original Form:
Lainey originated as a short form of names like Helen, Helena, Helene, Magdelena, and Delaney.
Evolution:
The name evolved from being a short form of various names to becoming a standalone given name, with spelling variants such as Laney, Lainie, and Lanie.
Source:
The name Elaine, an Old French form of Helen, was used in the 15th Century Arthurian romance 'Le Morte d’Arthur' by Thomas Malory and later popularized by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.