Helena
Helena was the 363rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 841 babies. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked 194th; the most babies were born in 2025 (841). Over the last ten years it has moved up 172 places. More babies were named Helena in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Greek, Latin
Say it HEL-uh-nuh /ˈhɛlənə/
- Rank in 2025
- #363 girls, up 149 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 841girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025841 babies
- Total since 1880
- 40,412babies recorded
What does the name Helena mean?
Helena is the Latin form of Helen. DMNES gives the Greek root as uncertain and lists Saint Helena, the 4th-century empress and mother of Constantine, who was credited with finding the True Cross; the Random House dictionary also names her. Helena is the capital of Montana. As with Helen, explanations such as "torch" or "light" are unproven.
Ἑλένη (Ancient Greek, “Helen (root uncertain)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. DMNES calls the root uncertain.
Other explanations you may read: means 'torch' or 'light'.
Related names: Helen, Elena, Ellen, Lena.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Helena', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Ellen', DMNES, Durham University
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Helena', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
Nicknames for Helena
The usual nicknames for Helena are Lena and Nell. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Helena in the last five years, 163 were named Lena, against 114 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lena · also for Elena, Helen, Magdalena | Traditional | #279 | 5,792 |
| Nell · also for Eleanor, Penelope, Helen | Traditional | #1,628 | 617 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Helenas go by each one.
Helena popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #363 | 841 |
| 2020 | #512 | 593 |
| 2010 | #534 | 550 |
| 2000 | #662 | 367 |
| 1990 | #946 | 200 |
| 1980 | #761 | 218 |
| 1970 | #737 | 201 |
| 1960 | #695 | 215 |
| 1950 | #563 | 219 |
| 1940 | #478 | 200 |
| 1930 | #430 | 242 |
| 1920 | #334 | 383 |
| 1910 | #293 | 175 |
| 1900 | #319 | 112 |
| 1890 | #248 | 100 |
| 1880 | #198 | 60 |
How popular is Helena, counting every spelling?
Helena is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #390 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #363 for Helena on its own. Together these spellings went to 851 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helena | 841 | #363 | 3,552 |
| Hellena | 10 | #9,698 | 39 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Helena?
841 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Helena (0.23 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Helena born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 10 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Helena.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Helena?
About 27,000 people born in the US named Helena are alive today, with a median age of 23; half are between 11 and 49. That makes Helena mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Helena by state
How common Helena was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Massachusetts (4.5×), Connecticut (2.1×), Florida (1.8×), New Jersey (1.7×), Oregon (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Iowa, Alabama, Louisiana.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Helena: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Helena, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Helena · Sibling names for Helena
Questions about the name Helena
What does Helena mean?
The origin of Helena is uncertain: DMNES calls the root uncertain.
How popular is the name Helena?
Helena was the 363rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 841 babies. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked 194th; the most babies were born in 2025 (841). Over the last ten years it has moved up 172 places. More babies were named Helena in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Helena a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Helena in the US.
Where is Helena most popular?
In 2021–2025, Helena was most common in Massachusetts (1.99 per 1,000 girls), followed by Hawaii and Connecticut.