Helen (given name)
Helen is a feminine given name derived from the Ancient Greek name Ἑλένη, Helenē (dialectal variant: Ἑλένα, Helena) whose etymology is unknown; a derivation of the latter from ἑλένη, a variant form of ἑλάνη, i.e. "torch", is considered "rather uncertain".[1][2] Another possible derivation is from Greek Σελήνη Selene, meaning 'moon'.[3] Helen of Troy is a character in Greek mythology. The name was widely used by early Christians due to Saint Helena, the mother of the emperor Constantine I, who according to legend found a piece of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified when she traveled to Jerusalem.[3] Helen was very popular in the United States during the first half of the 20th century, when it was one of the top ten names for baby girls, but became less common following World War II.[4]
 Eastern Orthodox icon of Saint Constantine the Great and Saint Helena, his mother. | |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhɛlən/ |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female |
| Name day | 19 May (Certain Lutheran Churches) 21 May (Orthodox, Anglican & Lutheran Churches) 18 August (Roman Catholic Church) |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Greek |
| Meaning | 'light' or 'bright' |
| Region of origin | Mediterranean Europe |
| Other names | |
| Nickname(s) | Lena, Lenie, Elle, El, Ellie, Hela, Heli, Helikopter |
| Related names | Elaine, Elen, Elene, Ellen, Elena, Eleni, Elin, Helena, Helene, Helaine, Ilona, Yelena |
| Popularity | see popular names |
People
- Helen of Greece and Denmark (1896–1982), Queen Mother of Romania
- Saint Helen of Serbia (died 1314), Serbian queen
- Helen Acquroff (1831-1887), Scottish pianist, singer, poet and music teacher
- Helen Adams (born 1978), British television personality
- Helen Atkinson-Wood (born 1955), English actress
- Helen Vickroy Austin (1829–1921), American journalist, horticulturist, suffragette
- Helen Ball, senior British police officer
- Helen Bar-Yaacov, Uzbekistani-born American rabbi
- Helen Baxendale (born 1970), English actress
- Helen Purdy Beale (1893–1976), US virologist
- Helen Corinne Bergen (1868–?), American author, journalist, critic
- Helen Louisa Bostwick Bird (1826–1907), American author, poet
- Helen Bjørnøy (born 1954), Norwegian politician
- Helen Marie Black (1896–1988), American cultural and civic leader, publicist, and journalist
- Helen Blatch (born 1933), British actress
- Helen Broderick (1891–1959), American actress
- Helen Brown (1917–1986), New Zealand painter
- Helen Stuart Campbell (1839-1918), American author, editor, social reformer, home economist
- Helen Chadwick (1953–1996), English artist
- Helen Clark (born 1950), New Zealand politician
- Helen Clark (born 1954), British politician
- Helen Taggart Clark (1849–?), American journalist, poet
- Helen Millar Craggs (1888–1969), British suffragette and pharmacist, later 2nd Baroness Pethick-Lawrence
- Helen Cross (born 1967), English author
- Helen Cross, Australian politician
- Helen Joy Davidman (1915–1960), American poet and writer
- Helen Denerley (born 1956), Scottish sculptor
- Helen DeWitt (born 1957), American novelist
- Helen Don-Duncan (born 1981), English swimmer
- Helen Flanagan (born 1990), English actress
- Helen Frankenthaler (1928–2011), American painter
- Helen Fraser (feminist), later Moyes (1881–1979), Scottish suffragette, feminist, educationalist, politician emigrated to Australia, toured America to develop WWI Women's Land Army.
- Helen Gamboa (born 1945), Filipina actress
- Helen Gandy (1897–1988), American civil servant
- Helen Garner (born 1942), Australian author
- Helen Golay (born 1931), American woman who murdered two homeless men for life insurance money
- Helen Grant (born 1961), British politician
- Helen Grant (born 1964), English author
- Helen Grant (born 1979), English field hockey player
- Helen Hakena (born 1955), organiser and campaigner for peace and women's rights from Bougainville, Papua New Guinea
- Helen Hayes (1900–1993), American actress
- Helen Anne Henderson (1946–2015), Canadian journalist and disability rights activist
- Helen Humes (1913–1981), American singer
- Helen Hunt (born 1963), American actress
- Helen Marr Hurd (1839-1909), American educator, poet
- Helen Hunt Jackson (1830-1855), American poet, writer, activist
- Helen Jacobs (1908–1997), American tennis player
- Helen G. James, American equality activist
- Helen Kane (1904–1966), American singer
- Helen Keller (1880–1968), American author, political activist and lecturer
- Helen Klaos (born 1983), Estonian badminton player
- Helen Landgarten (1921-2011), American psychotherapist, art therapy pioneer
- Helen Dortch Longstreet (1863-1962), American newspaper editor, publisher
- Helen MacRae (active 1909–1914), British suffragette
- Helen Marshall (b. 25 October 1898), American historian of nursing
- Helene Mayer (1910–1953), German fencer
- Helen Mayo (1878–1967), Australian medical doctor and medical educator
- Helen McCall (1899–1956), Canadian photographer
- Helen Maud Merrill (1865-1943), American litterateur, poet
- Helen Mirren (born 1945), English actress
- Helen Moore (disambiguation), multiple people
- Helen Morgan (1900–1941), American singer
- Helen Morse (born 1947), Australian actress
- Helen Nielsen (1918–2002), American writer
- Helen O'Connell (1920–1993), American singer, actress, and hostess
- Helen Pai, American television writer, director, and producer
- Helén Pettersson (born 1972), Swedish politician
- Helen Philemon (born 1980), track and field athlete from Papua New Guinea
- Helen Plaschinski (born 1963), Mexican swimmer
- Helen Beatrix Potter (1866–1943), English author, illustrator and natural scientist
- Helen Reddy (1941–2020), Australian-American singer-songwriter and actress
- Helen Hinsdale Rich (1827-1915), American writer
- Helen Richardson-Walsh (born 1981), an English field hockey player
- Helen Rickerby, New Zealand poet, writer, editor and publisher
- Helen Rockel (born 1945), New Zealand painter
- Helen Roden (born 1986), Former college basketballer and Australian rules footballer
- Helen Rollason (1956–1999), British sports journalist and television presenter
- Helen Shapiro (born 1946), English singer
- Helen Sjöholm (born 1970), Swedish singer
- Helen Slater (born 1963), American actress
- Helen Slayton-Hughes (born 1930), American actress
- Helen Southworth (born 1956), British politician
- Helen Ekin Starrett (1840-1920), American educator, author, suffragette
- Helen Stephens (1918–1994), American athlete
- Helen Stewart (1900–1983), New Zealand painter
- Helen Svedin (born 1976), Swedish model
- Helen Sworn, English Baptist missionary
- Helen Tamiris (1905–1966), American choreographer
- Helen Thomas (1920–2013), American reporter and author
- Helena Thopia(fl. 1388–1403), Albanian princess
- Helen Tobias-Duesberg (1919–2010), Estonian-American composer
- Helen Va'aga (born 1977), New Zealand rugby player and coach
- Helen Volk (born 1954), Zimbabwean field hockey player
- Helen M. Winslow (1851-1938), American author, journalist
- Helen Zenith, Canadian artist
- Helen Zille (born 1951), South African politician
Fictional
- Helen Dubois, character from the sitcom Drake & Josh
- Helen Morgendorffer, character from the animated sitcom Daria
- Helen Lorraine, the owner of Martha in Martha Speaks
- Helen Henny, one of the mascots from Chuck E Cheese
- Helen Shyres, character from the book Carrie
References
- Beekes, Robert (2010). "s.v. Ἑλένη". Etymological Dictionary of Greek. With the assistance of Lucien van Beek. Brill. ISBN 9789004174184.
- ἑλένη, ἑλάνη. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project.
- "Helen". Behind the Name.
- "Popularity of Name". Social Security Administration. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
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