Given name & surname
Helena
“the shining light”
In German use, Helena has a related form in Lena. In German use, Lena carries the interpretation “the shining light.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In German use, Helena has a related form in Lena. In German use, Lena carries the interpretation “the shining light.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Helena is a variant of Helen. A possible origin is Greek, although the derivation remains uncertain. Helena has a related form in Helle. An origin associated with Helle is Greek.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Finnish usage, Helena developed from Ἑλένη.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Helena is a variant of Helen. The history of Helen gives this family its wider story. Helen’s historical associations include the mother of the Emperor Constantine. Helena has a related form in Helle. The history of Helle gives this family its wider story. In mythological stories, Helle is associated with the daughter of Athamas.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Helena through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 40,412
- 0 boys · 40,412 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 841 babies
- 2025
- 841
- #363 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +13%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 841 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 363 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 12.7% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (106). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 31,617 as a first name in 2020; 397 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Helena’s family of names
In Estonian usage, Helena has a short form in Helen. In Finnish usage, Helena shares an earlier linguistic root with Elena. In Estonian usage, Helena has a related form in Ellen.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Helena has relatives in 34 languages.
56 related names in 34 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 38
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Elenavariant · Czech, Finnish
- Alinashort form · German
- Lenadiminutive · French, Polish
- Helenshort form · Estonian, English
- Elleshort form · Estonian
- Alenavariant · Czech
- Elinavariant · Finnish, Estonian
- Ellenvariant · Dutch, Estonian
Show 30 moreShow fewer
- Helenevariant · Swedish, German
- Ilonavariant · English, Hungarian
- Helinavariant · Estonian
- Heladiminutive · Polish, Czech
- Elkadiminutive · Slovak
- Jolanavariant · Czech
- Heleenvariant · Dutch
- Lenkadiminutive · Czech, Upper Sorbian
- Helidiminutive · Finnish, Estonian
- Heleenavariant · Finnish
- Helisvariant · Estonian
- Helušdiminutive · Czech
- Helenkadiminutive · Polish, Czech
- Helyshort form · Finnish
- Hellädiminutive · Finnish
- Heljäshort form · Finnish
- Heleshort form · Estonian
- Leentjediminutive · Dutch
- Hellevariant · Estonian
- Helkapet form · Finnish, Slovak
- Helinävariant · Finnish
- Hellinvariant · Finnish
- Hellivariant · Finnish
- Helénvariant · Swedish
- Helčadiminutive · Czech
- Eluškadiminutive · Slovak
- Heluškadiminutive · Slovak
- Helenôčkadiminutive · Slovak
- Ehlinvariant · German
- Ehlenvariant · German
Spellings & scripts 5
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 32
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Elenidoublet · English
- Leenaequivalent
- Yelenadoublet · English
- Ileanaderivative · Romanian
- Elinalso known as · Faroese, Swedish
- Halinaequivalent
- Jelenaderivative · Lithuanian, German
- Olenaequivalent
Show 24 moreShow fewer
- Ellinaequivalent
- Alenkaequivalent
- Jelaequivalent
- Leneequivalent
- Έλεναequivalent
- Lénaequivalent
- Jeļenaequivalent
- Lenuțaequivalent
- Lenkeequivalent
- Лелюкequivalent
- ЕленаRussian, Bulgarian
- HélèneFrench, Luxembourgish
- Јеленаequivalent
- Aelenaequivalent
- ელენეGeorgian
- Ἑλένηroot · Ancient Greek
- LeńkaUpper Sorbian
- LejnaUpper Sorbian
- ОленаUkrainian
- Хеленаsr-Cyrl
- ΕλένηGreek
- HelēnaLatvian
- ElínIcelandic
- LéanIrish
See also 5
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Helena
- Helena Bonham CarterBritish actress (born 1966)
- Helena BlavatskyRussian occult writer (1831-1891)
- Helena PaparizouGreek singerborn 1982
- Princess Helena of the United KingdomMember of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (1846–1923)
- Helene Schjerfbeckswedish-speaking painter of Finland (1862-1946)
- Helena RubinsteinPolish-American businesswoman, art collector, and philanthropist1872–1965
- Helena ChristensenDanish model and photographerborn 1968
- Helena SukováCzech tennis player and psychologistborn 1965
- Helena GualingaEcuadorian activistborn 2002
Characters named Helena: Huntress (DC Comics character), Huntress (DC Comics superhero), Helena Douglas (Dead or Alive), Helena Kurcewiczówna (fictional character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Helena, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“the shining light”
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Gwennora
—
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