UK girl's name
Alaina
A feminine name of Scottish origin meaning "Echo", "Rock", or "Handsome".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Alaina is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Alaina popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #620, with 63 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2022, with 70 births.
This profile covers 884 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 90% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 960 living people in the UK are called Alaina. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Alaina ranked #620 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 63 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2022, when 70 girls were registered as Alaina.
- • Alaina ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #407 in 2024.
- • About 960 living people in the UK are estimated to have Alaina as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#620
2024
Births in 2024
63
Latest year
Peak year
2022
70 births
Estimated living
960
2026
Meaning
What does Alaina mean?
The name Alaina is a variant of the French name Alaine, which is derived from the Germanic name Alana. The name Alana is believed to have its origins in the Old German word "all," meaning "all" or "complete," and the suffix "-ana," which was a common ending for female names in Germanic languages.
The name Alaina first appeared in recorded history during the Middle Ages in France and other parts of Europe. It was a popular name among the nobility and upper classes during this time period. The earliest known recorded use of the name Alaina dates back to the 12th century.
In the 13th century, Alaina de Lacy was a prominent English noblewoman who lived from around 1200 to 1265. She was the daughter of John de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, and played a significant role in the political affairs of her time.
Another notable historical figure with the name Alaina was Alaina Ferrante, an Italian painter who lived in the 16th century. She was one of the few female artists of the Renaissance period and was known for her portraits and religious paintings.
In the 17th century, Alaina de La Tour was a French noblewoman and writer. She was born around 1620 and is remembered for her memoirs, which provided insights into the lives of the French aristocracy during that era.
During the 19th century, Alaina Phinney was an American educator and activist. She was born in 1825 and was a pioneer in the field of education for women, founding one of the first schools for girls in the United States.
Alaina Lockhart was a Scottish author who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She was born in 1869 and wrote several novels and short stories that explored themes of Scottish culture and history.
While the name Alaina has its roots in various European languages and cultures, it has gained popularity in modern times and is now used in many parts of the world. However, its historical origins and the stories of notable individuals who bore this name continue to shape its legacy and significance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Alaina over time
The chart below shows babies named Alaina registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Alaina, the clearest high point is 2022. The latest England and Wales figure is 63 births in 2024, compared with 70 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Alaina by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Alaina was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #649 | 298 | 5 |
| 2010s | #964 | 381 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1443 | 172 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1972 | 33 | 4 |
Geography
Where Alaina is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Alaina. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Alaina ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #407 in 2024.
Across the UK
Alaina in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#790 in 2024
16 years of NRS records, 68 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#407 in 2024
4 years of NISRA records, 13 total registered
Related
Names similar to Alaina
- Amelia 94,830
- Ava 54,556
- Amy 52,495
- Alice 46,815
- Abigail 45,658
- Amber 31,922
- Anna 27,802
- Alexandra 19,455
- Amelie 18,051
- Abbie 15,971
- Aimee 15,158
- Annabelle 15,120
FAQ
Alaina: questions and answers
How popular is the name Alaina in the UK right now?
In 2024, Alaina was ranked #620 for girls in England and Wales, with 63 births registered.
When was Alaina most popular?
The peak year on record was 2022, with 70 babies registered as Alaina in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Alaina?
A feminine name of Scottish origin meaning "Echo", "Rock", or "Handsome".
How many people are called Alaina in the UK?
A total of 884 babies have been registered as Alaina across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 68 more in Scotland and 13 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Alaina most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Alaina ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #407 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.