Helen

“To shine, burn, or glow (Proto-Indo-European root swel-)” — Greek origin

Girl's name · #461 in the US (2025) · Vintage

Helen has appeared in US records since 1880 — best rank #2 (1900) · 1,024,202 babies named Helen all-time · 1 in 2,400 girls born in 2025.

Around the world: about 1 in 2,100 girls in Ireland (2025) · about 1 in 3,000 girls in Austria (2025) · about 1 in 3,100 girls in Switzerland (2024).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 36 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Helens

Helen Keller — American deafblind author, political activist, lecturer, scholar (1880-1968)
Helen Mirren — English actress (born 1945)
Helen Clark — Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008
Helen Hunt — American actress
Helen Hayes — American actress (1900–1993)

In stories & tradition

Helen of Troy — Iliad · Odyssey
Helen (Elastigirl) — The Incredibles · Incredibles 2
Helen Lovejoy — The Simpsons

What Helens become

Among 3,339 notable people named Helen:

Artists & writers appear 1.58× more often than among typical names — e.g. Helen Keller, American deafblind author, political activist, lecturer, scholar (1880-1968).

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.