Laney began as a short form of Elaine, the Old French form of Helen that means "torch" or "light", and also serves as a nickname for Delaney and Alaina. Used on its own it has the easy, friendly ring of Lacey and Macy. In the United States Laney has been in the top 1000 since 2000, peaked at number 482 in 2005 and ranks 674 in 2025.