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Home › Baby Names Directory › Gaylene

Gaylene

♀ Girl

Pronounced gay-LEEN /ɡeɪˈliːn/High

Meaning: Gaylene is a mid-twentieth-century American blend, joining Gay ('merry, lighthearted') to the fashionable -lene suffix seen in Charlene and Darlene.Low

In 30 seconds: A cheerful coined classic: Gaylene fuses Gay ('merry') with a pretty -lene ending (said 'gay-LEEN'). Sweet and thoroughly mid-century.
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Origin LowEnglish
MeaningGaylene is a mid-twentieth-century American blend, joining Gay ('merry, lighthearted') to the fashionable -lene suffix seen in Charlene and Darlene.
U.S. rank (1995)#14190 ↘ Falling
1995 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1956
Total births (all-time)≈ 2,570

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 195619311995

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Gaylene is a mid-century blend of Gay ('merry') and the trendy -lene ending. It crested around 1956 among a family of rhyming -lene names before fading (said 'gay-LEEN').

It fell away as 'Gay' shifted in everyday meaning, and it is rare now. Bright, breezy, and dated.

Did you know? Gaylene rode the -lene wave and peaked around 1956, sitting beside Charlene, Darlene, and Marlene.
Overall data confidence 50%
References — Gaylene — Blend of Gay + -lene; mid-century coinage

Variations

GaylynnGayleneGayle

Nicknames

GayLena

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Gaylene…

Darlene— a like -lene mid-century name
Charlene— a rhyming -lene classic
Marlene— a like -lene vintage pick
Georgene— shares Gaylene's English roots
Maylene— another English name

Explore names like Gaylene

By themevintagecoinedfemininecheerful

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Gaylene mean?

Gaylene blends Gay, 'merry,' with the popular -lene ending of its era.

How do you pronounce Gaylene?

It's said gay-LEEN /ɡeɪˈliːn/ — the stress lands on the part shown in capitals.

Is Gaylene a comeback name?

It's rare now; the Gay- opening keeps it firmly a period piece.

How popular is Gaylene?

Gaylene was a modest mid-century favorite, peaking in the mid-nineteen-fifties, and has been scarce since.

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