Helen
Girl nameHelen has been given to 1,027,307 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1918 and currently ranks #462 for girls (2025).
Meaning & origin /ˈhɛlən/
From French Hélène, from Latin Helena, from Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē). Doublet of Elaine.
Origin: Ancient Greek
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
1,027,307
Peak year
1918 (36,228 babies)
Rank in 2025
#462 for girls
First recorded
1880
10-year trend
▼ -13%
Gender split
100% girls / 0% boys
Famous people named Helen
Helen Keller
American deafblind author, political activist, lecturer, scholar (1880-1968)
Helen Mirren
British actress (born 1945)
Beatrix Potter
British children's writer and illustrator (1866–1943)
Helen Clark
Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Helen.
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