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Helen

Girl's name · #462 in the US (2025) · Vintage

Popularity over time

Helen was #2 back in 1900, spent 37 years inside the national top 5, and stands at #462 today. About 1.0 million girls have carried it since 1880.

Across the states

See where Helen is more common.

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

Around the world

See how Helen ranks in other countries and regions.

#102 in Ecuador (2025) · #314 in Mexico (2024) · #381 in Ireland (2025) · #420 in Austria (2025) · #438 in Norway (2025) · #478 in Sweden (2025) · #520 in Switzerland (2025) · #532 in Italy (2024) · #630 in Poland (2025) · #705 in England & Wales (2025) · #780 in Scotland (2025) · #856 in Canada (2025) and 7 more.

Famous Helens

• Helen Keller — American deafblind author and activist (1880–1968)
• Helen Mirren — English actor (born 1945)
• Helen Clark — Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008 (born 1950)
• Helen Hunt — American actress (born 1963)
• Helen Hayes — American actress (1900–1993)
• Helen McCrory — British actress (1968–2021)
• Helen — Indian actress and dancer in Hindi films (born 1938)
• Helen Reddy — Australian and American singer, actress, TV host, and activist (1941–2020)
• Helen Slater — American actress and singer-songwriter (born 1963)
• Helen Thomas — American journalist (1920–2013)

In stories & tradition

• Helen of Troy — Iliad (book)
• Helen (Elastigirl) — Fictional character from The Incredibles
• Helen Lovejoy — The Simpsons character

What Helens become

Among 3,353 notable people named Helen:

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

Spellings & nicknames

About 500 girls a year are given Nellie as their full name.

Similar names: Ellen · Martha · Elle · Kate · Dorothy · Karen

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

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