Lainey is an American pet form of Elaine, the French form of Helen, and so means "bright" or "shining light". It was a rare nickname name until the taste for friendly -ey names like Hailey and Paisley and the rise of country singer Lainey Wilson turned it into a hit; its leap is one of the biggest in recent records. Lainey was at number 1223 in 2000, reached the top 100 in 2023 and ranks thirtieth in 2025.