SaveGenderFeminine
Scripts‘Ελενη Ancient Greek
Meaning & History
English form of the Greek ‘Ελενη (Helene), probably from Greek ‘ελενη (helene) "torch" or "corposant", or possibly related to σεληνη (selene) "moon". In Greek mythology Helen was the daughter of Zeus and Leda, whose kidnapping by Paris was the cause of the Trojan War. The name was also borne by the 4th-century Saint Helena, mother of the Roman emperor Constantine, who supposedly found the True Cross during a trip to Jerusalem.The name was originally used among early Christians in honour of the saint, as opposed to the classical character. In England it was commonly spelled Ellen during the Middle Ages, and the spelling Helen was not regularly used until after the Renaissance. A famous bearer was Helen Keller (1880-1968), an American author and lecturer who was both blind and deaf.
Related Names
VariantsEllen, Helena, Hellen English Elin, Elina, Helena, Helene Swedish Elin, Helena, Helene Norwegian Elin, Helena, Helene Danish Helena, Helene Greek Mythology
Other Languages & CulturesShelena African American Helena, Helene Ancient Greek Elaine Arthurian Romance Elena Bulgarian Helena, Jelena, Jela, Jelka Croatian Helena, Alena, Lenka Czech Heleen, Helena, Heleentje Dutch Helena, Jelena, Leena Estonian Eliina, Elina, Helena, Ella, Elli, Heleena, Heli, Leena Finnish Hélène French Elene Georgian Elena, Helena, Helene, Alena, Lena, Lene, Leni German Elena, Eleni, Elli, Lena Greek Heléna Hungarian Helena Icelandic Léan Irish Elena, Ileana Italian Elīna, Helēna, Jeļena, Jelena Latvian Elena, Jelena Lithuanian Elena Macedonian Helena, Lena Polish Helena, Lena Portuguese Elena, Ileana, Ilinca, Lenuța Romanian Elena, Yelena, Alyona, Lena Russian Elene Sardinian Jelena, Jela, Jelka Serbian Elena, Helena, Alena, Jela, Lenka Slovak Helena, Jelena, Alena, Alenka, Jelka Slovene Elena, Ileana Spanish Olena, Lesya Ukrainian Elen, Elin Welsh
User SubmissionHelén
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Helen of TroyCategories
actresses, American Horror Story characters, athletes, authors, Catholic saints, celestial, children of Zeus, Claymore characters, Ernest Hemingway characters, female US presidential candidates, fire, first ladies of the USA, Greek mythology, House of Cards US characters, Iliad characters, light, moon, mythology, Narnia characters, nature, never out of the US top 1000, Orthodox Saints, Ozark characters, Quantico characters, saints, Shakespearean characters, Simpsons characters, Stephen King characters, The Man in the High Castle characters, top 10 in the US, uncertain etymology, weather
Entry updated December 8, 2017 Contribute
