Helen
Helen is a feminine given name derived from the Ancient Greek name Ἑλένη, Helenē, which descends from Proto-Hellenic *Ηwelénā, from a pre-Hellenic or late Proto-Indo-European *Swelénā, ultimately derived from the Indo-European root *swel-.
- English
- Swedish
- Norwegian
- Danish
Meaning & Origin of Helen
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Helen is a feminine given name derived from the Ancient Greek name Ἑλένη, Helenē, which descends from Proto-Hellenic *Ηwelénā, from a pre-Hellenic or late Proto-Indo-European *Swelénā, ultimately derived from the Indo-European root *swel-.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Swedish
- Norwegian
- Danish
- Estonian
- Greek Mythology
The Story of Helen
American parents first put Helen on the record books as a baby girl name in 1880, with 636 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 36,148 Helens were born — ranking #2 that year. The 1920s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 28% of all recorded Helens. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #405 among baby girl names with 752 births, holding steady (+2%). In total, more than 1.0M Helens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Helen
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Helen. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Notable people named Helen
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Helen of Greece and Denmark (1896–1982), Queen Mother of Romania
- Saint Helen of Serbia (died 1314), Serbian queen
- Helen Abbey (1915–2001), American biostatistician
- Helen Aberson-Mayer (1907–1999), American writer
- Helen Acquroff (1831–1887), Scottish pianist, singer, poet and music teacher
- Helen Adam (1909–1993), American poet
- Helen Adams (born 1978), British television personality
- Helen Adams (soprano) (born 1956), Australian soprano
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Helen
Phonetically similar names — useful when Helen is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Helen
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About the name Helen
Helen is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 1.0M births in the dataset. Helen's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #2. Use the chart and map above to compare Helen's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1918 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- Names starting with "H" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.