Helen

Did you know?

A few things about Helen you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Helen

Helen Keller

American deafblind author, political activist, lecturer, scholar (1880-1968)

Choose Helen and your child shares a first name with Helen Keller, an American deafblind author, political activist, lecturer, scholar. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Helen, like who?” Helen Keller's Wikipedia article is available in 169 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Helen Keller on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Los Angeles Times; restored by User:Rhododendrites, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 2,406 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Helen, 668 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Helen would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryHelen has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Helens, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1919, when it ranked #2. Today it's #461, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🍂TrendHelen has slipped 35 places over the last five years and now sits at #461. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedHelen is most popular in Washington, D.C., where it ranks #73, followed by Virginia (#204) and Maryland (#253). It's in the top 1,000 in 31 states.

About the name Helen

Helen is a girl name. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with H and ending in “-len”. US birth records list Helen for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1919, when it ranked #2 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #461, with 668 babies.