Helen
Origin of the name Helen:
Cognate of the Greek Helenē, which is derived from the root ēlē (light, torch, bright). The name is borne in Greek legend by the beautiful wife of the king of Sparta. Her abduction by the Trojan prince Paris sparked off the Trojan War.
From A World of Baby Names by Teresa Norman. Buy the bookDoes Helen sound...
Sibling Names for Helen...
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Reader Contributions
Contribute to, or edit, this collection of community wisdom on the name Helen!
- Comments and insights on the name Helen: | Edit
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- Personal experiences with the name Helen: | Edit
I have mixed feelings about being named Helen. It is easy to pronounce and usually there is no trouble for people to spell it. Growing up, however, I was teased by other kids who said my name was a “bad word” and would spell it with two Ls. Also, it doesn't necessarily make you feel special when you visit nursing homes or grave yards and everyone there is named Helen.
As a Helen, I agree with all of the above. I didn't like it that it couldn't be shortened ... which is actually why my mother had chosen it!
I have to disagree with the two posters above! I love being named Helen. It's classic and beautiful, yet unusual. My great-grandmother was named Helen and I love that connection to the past. According to my mother, "Everyone thinks I named you after my grandmother but actually I named you after Helen of Troy because you were such a beautiful baby." (Thanks, Mom!)
- Nicknames for Helen: | Edit
Nell, Nellie, Elle, Ellie, Ella, Lena, Leni
- Meanings and history of the name Helen: | Edit
Helen of Troy was the daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris, resulting in the Trojan War.
- Famous real-life people named Helen: | Edit
Helen Clark, New Zealand Prime Minister.
Helen Frankenthaler, American abstraction artist.
Helen Herron Taft, First Lady and wife of William Howard Taft.
Helen Garner, award-winning Australian novelist and screenwriter.
Helen Hayes, American actress.
Helen Hunt, American actress.
Helen Keller, American deaf-blind author, activist and lecturer.
Dame Helen Mirren, English award winning actress.
Helen Fielding, English author.
Helen Slater, actress
Helen Steiner-Rice, poet
Helen Thomas, political journalist- Helen in song, story & screen: | Edit
Helen, character in the novel "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte.
"To Helen", titles of two poems by Edgar Allen Poe.
Helen of Troy.
Helen Parr, character in the Disney/Pixar film "The Incredibles"
NameVoyager US Popularity of Helen Over Time
NameMapper Current Popularity of Helen by State
Global Popularity of the Name Helen
- #307 in Scotland
- #371 in United States
- #403 in Norway
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