Helen
From French Hélène, from Latin Helena, from Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē).
Every Helen since 1880 — 1,027,307 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Helen
Helen is moderately common for girls in the United States, ranked #462 in 2025 with 668 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 1,027,307 American babies have been named Helen. Its peak came in 1918, when 36,228 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1910s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Helen stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Helen year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 668 | #462 | — | — |
| 2024 | 728 | #425 | — | — |
| 2023 | 777 | #395 | — | — |
| 2022 | 749 | #422 | — | — |
| 2021 | 704 | #444 | — | — |
| 2020 | 721 | #426 | — | — |
| 2019 | 743 | #429 | — | — |
| 2018 | 745 | #415 | — | — |
| 2017 | 764 | #418 | — | — |
| 2016 | 816 | #409 | — | — |
| 2015 | 767 | #419 | — | — |
| 2014 | 802 | #403 | — | — |
| 2013 | 740 | #411 | — | — |
| 2012 | 772 | #403 | — | — |
| 2011 | 731 | #429 | — | — |
| 2010 | 705 | #436 | — | — |
| 2009 | 826 | #388 | — | — |
| 2008 | 885 | #368 | — | — |
| 2007 | 932 | #349 | — | — |
| 2006 | 949 | #348 | — | — |
| 2005 | 961 | #333 | — | — |
| 2004 | 861 | #364 | 5 | #12,004 |
| 2003 | 783 | #392 | — | — |
| 2002 | 875 | #341 | — | — |
| 2001 | 884 | #344 | — | — |
| 2000 | 891 | #345 | — | — |
| 1995 | 837 | #325 | — | — |
| 1990 | 863 | #317 | 7 | #6,702 |
| 1985 | 808 | #301 | 6 | #6,066 |
| 1980 | 914 | #272 | — | — |
| 1975 | 1,059 | #229 | 6 | #5,043 |
| 1970 | 1,718 | #191 | 9 | #3,373 |
| 1965 | 2,800 | #137 | 14 | #2,213 |
| 1960 | 4,071 | #117 | 10 | #2,757 |
| 1955 | 5,592 | #78 | 19 | #1,814 |
| 1950 | 7,061 | #50 | 19 | #1,717 |
| 1945 | 8,301 | #31 | 30 | #1,212 |
| 1940 | 10,203 | #18 | 38 | #1,054 |
| 1935 | 12,785 | #10 | 67 | #754 |
| 1930 | 19,913 | #4 | 83 | #687 |
| 1925 | 29,173 | #4 | 80 | #725 |
| 1920 | 35,097 | #3 | 63 | #856 |
| 1915 | 30,866 | #2 | 60 | #779 |
| 1910 | 10,479 | #2 | 30 | #517 |
| 1905 | 6,811 | #2 | 26 | #426 |
| 1900 | 6,342 | #2 | 18 | #591 |
| 1895 | 4,023 | #3 | 17 | #496 |
| 1890 | 2,312 | #12 | 7 | #844 |
| 1885 | 1,134 | #28 | 6 | #874 |
| 1880 | 636 | #35 | — | — |
Famous people named Helen
- Helen Keller Social activist · 1880–1968
- Helen Mirren Actor · b. 1945
- Helen of Greece and Denmark Companion · 1896–1982
- Helen Hunt Actor · b. 1963
- Helen Hayes Actor · 1900–1993
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Helen mean?
From French Hélène, from Latin Helena, from Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē).
How popular is the name Helen in 2025?
Helen ranked #462 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 668 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Helen?
1,027,307 babies have been named Helen in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Helen most popular?
Helen peaked in 1918, when 36,228 newborns received the name.
Is Helen a boy or girl name?
Helen is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Helen rising or falling?
Helen has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Helen?
Well-known people named Helen include Helen Keller (social activist), Helen Mirren (actor), Helen of Greece and Denmark (companion).