Helen is a classic baby name from ancient times (think the legendarily beautiful Helen of Troy—the face that launched a thousand ships—and a daughter of Zeus), and has an equally beautiful meaning—shining light.
It’s a name that’s been associated with royalty, and with a slew of legendary people. There’s actresses Hayes, Hunt, and Mirren. Activist Helen Keller and Cosmopolitan founder Helen Gurley Brown also bear the name. And it’s been used for a slew of characters in film and movies—from superhero Helen Parr in The Incredibles, to the wild younger sister in Howard’s End, played by Helena Bonham Carter.
There are plenty of variations on the name that might be a nice baby name option—Helene, Helena, Aileen, Elaine, Olena, and Eleni, to name a few. If you want a name with a similar meaning, consider Chiara, Hikaru, Kiran, Leonora, Lucia, Lucian, Luciana, Lucille, Lucy, Lumen, Lux, Luz, Pradeep, Senara, Uma, and Zia.
Helen was incredibly popular in the early 20th century—it was a top 10 pick from the late 1800s all the way through 1935. Right now, the name is settled into the mid range in popularity, in the middle 400s.
Helen in quotes:
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart. —Helen Keller
“Good girls go to heaven and bad girls go everywhere.” —Helen Gurley Brown
“And catching sight of Helen moving along the ramparts, they murmured one to another, gentle, winged words: "Who on earth could blame them? Ah, no wonder the men of Troy and Argives under arms have suffered years of agony all for her, for such a woman. Beauty, terrible beauty! deathless goddess – so she strikes our eyes!” —Homer, The Iliad
Meanings
Greek Baby Names Meaning:
In Greek Baby Names the meaning of the name Helen is: Shining light. The bright one. Helen of Troy, whose elopement with Paris sparked the Trojan War, was the daughter of Zeus and wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta.
Latin Baby Names Meaning:
In Latin Baby Names the meaning of the name Helen is: Most beautiful woman in the world.
Shakespearean Baby Names Meaning:
In Shakespearean Baby Names the meaning of the name Helen is: Cymbeline' A lady attending on Imogen. 'The History of Troilus and Cressida' Wife to Menelaus.
American Baby Names Meaning:
In American Baby Names the meaning of the name Helen is: Shining light. The bright one. Helen of Troy, whose elopement with Paris sparked the Trojan War, was the daughter of Zeus and wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta.