Names related to Helena: Lena, Helen, Leni

Helena

Pronunciation: heh-LAY-nə, HEH-li-nə, heh-LEE-nə (key)

Origin of the name Helena:

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.

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Nicknames for Helena: | Edit

Lena, Helen, Leni, Nellie, Nell, Hell, Len, HellyBelly,

Meanings and history of the name Helena: | Edit

Latinate form of HELEN.

Derived from the Greek ‘Ελενη (Helene), probably from Greek ‘ελενη (helene) "torch" or "corposant", or possibly related to σεληνη (selene) "moon". In Greek mythology Helen was the daughter of Zeus and Leda, whose kidnapping by Paris was the cause of the Trojan War.

The name was also borne by the 4th-century Saint Helena, mother of the Roman emperor Constantine, who supposedly found the True Cross during a trip to Jerusalem.

The name was originally used among early Christians in honour of the saint, as opposed to the classical character. In England it was commonly spelled Ellen during the Middle Ages, and the spelling Helen was not regularly used until after the Renaissance.

Famous real-life people named Helena: | Edit

Helena Bonham-Carter, actress
Helena Christensen, model

Helena in song, story & screen: | Edit

"Helena Justina" is the love interest/heroine in the Falco books by Lindsay Davis
Song by My Chemical Romance "Helena"

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