Elanie is likely a variant of Elaine or Helen, ultimately from Greek roots meaning torch or shining light.
Elanie is a gently variant spelling of Elaine, which itself is the Old French form of the ancient Greek name Helene — from helene, thought to mean torch, bright light, or the shining one, possibly with early connections to the Greek word for sun, helios. The name's roots reach deep into classical antiquity: Helen of Troy, whose face 'launched a thousand ships' in Marlowe's famous phrase, is among the most storied figures in Western literature, making the entire family of Helen-derived names carry an undercurrent of extraordinary beauty and epic consequence. In medieval Arthurian legend, Elaine took on a life entirely distinct from its Hellenic origins.
Two notable Elaines appear in the Matter of Britain: Elaine of Astolat, the 'lily maid' who dies of unrequited love for Lancelot and whose story Tennyson immortalized in his 1859 poem 'Lancelot and Elaine' (part of Idylls of the King), and Elaine of Corbenic, the mother of Sir Galahad. These literary incarnations gave the name a medieval, romantic gravity that persisted for centuries. The spelling Elanie softens the name further, placing emphasis on the flowing vowels and distancing it slightly from its more formal variants.
This quality — familiar yet individualized — is precisely what recommends it to contemporary parents. The name sits in a pleasing space between Elaine's classic restraint and the more elaborate modern feminines, offering quiet elegance without grandiosity. It has been used sporadically but consistently in English-speaking countries, never fashionable enough to feel trendy, never obscure enough to require explanation.