Helena

Did you know?

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

⭐ Famous Helena

Helena Bonham Carter

British actress (born 1966)

Choose Helena and your child shares a first name with Helena Bonham Carter, a British actress. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Helena, like who?” Helena Bonham Carter's Wikipedia article is available in 86 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Helena Bonham Carter on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Helena_Bonham_Carter_(Berlin_Film_Festival_2011)_3.jpg: Siebbi derivative work: César (talk), CC BY 3.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 1,911 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Helena, 841 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Helena would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryHelena has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Helenas, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIts best year was 1881, when it reached #194.
• 📈Then vs nowHelena is 2.6× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 4,948 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 1,911.
• 🚀TrendHelena has climbed 149 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #363. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedHelena is most popular in Massachusetts, where it ranks #87, followed by Maine (#176) and Florida (#211). It's in the top 1,000 in 34 states.
• 💬MeaningIn Greek, Helena means “possibly torch, light”. Our records link it to Greek and Latin roots.

About the name Helena

Helena is a girl name of Greek and Latin origin meaning “possibly torch, light”. It has 6 letters and 3 syllables, starting with H and ending in “-ena”. US birth records list Helena for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked #194 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #363, with 841 babies.

Origin:Greek namesLatin names