Alaina

Through Alana, a feminine form of Alan; the original meaning is uncertain.

Alaina is an English feminine name in the Alana and Alan family. “Little rock” is one proposed interpretation of the older name Alan, not a certain literal meaning of Alaina. The connection to a name family is clearer than the translation. Its English pronunciation, uh-LAY-nuh, gives the middle syllable a clear lift. The l and n soften the outline, and the lightly spoken ending keeps the name from feeling heavy. To our ear, it has a gentle, contemporary elegance without needing an elaborate spelling. Alayna is a spelling variant with the same English pronunciation. That makes the choice between the two largely a matter of how you like the name to look: Alaina keeps the vowel pair ai, while Alayna introduces a y. Alana is the underlying related form, but its English pronunciations use a different middle vowel.

Etymology: An English variant of Alana, probably influenced by Elaine. Alana is the feminine form of Alan.