Elaine in Chinese

Come to think of it, I have met a couple of younger women who go by the name, Elaine. Both were Chinese. One was a waitress who served me in a restaurant and wore the name on her uniform tag. I asked her about how she got the name and she said that it sounded like a Chinese word with a pleasant meaning, so it was given to her as her English name. I wish I could remember what the word was. Above is Elaine written in Chinese.

Looking for Elaine(s)

Elaine (pronounced Eelaine, not alaine, or ellaine) is derived from Greek and means shining light. It is also a variant of “Helen.”

Is your name Elaine? Do you know anyone named Elaine? That is, anyone besides Elaine in “The Graduate,” Elaine on “Seinfeld," Elaine Stritch, or Elaine Boosler? Well, let me introduce myself. My name is, can you guess? Yes, my name is Elaine, and has been for quite a few decades. But, for all the years I've been around, I have rarely met anyone with my same first name. All through school, I was the only Elaine in my class. However, nowadays, I come across my first name more often than I’d like, in the obituaries, usually under the photo of a sweet looking old lady. Most of the deceased are a decade, or so, older than I am, and I never met any of them.

Before it’s too late, I want to meet you, Elaine.

How could such a lovely name go out of fashion? Apparently, it was very popular in the 1940’s. What do you think or know about the name Elaine? I would love to form a group here to share Elaine experiences.

Have you read Tennyson’s “The Lady of Shallott,” in which Elaine dies of unrequited love?

Do you go by Lainey, or some other nickname.

Do you spell Elaine the way I do, or are you Elayne?

Here’s a few links about Elaine:

http://babynamesworld.parentsconnect.com/popularity_of_Elaine.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_of_Shalott

Hoping to hear from you soon,
Elaine