Helen

Just AMAZING!

I love this name, it sounds very mature and womanly instead of girly like most names today do. It’s due for a comeback!

This is my middle name, and I think it goes well with my first name. It is sensible and feminine, but not over the top. I got it from a relative, which makes it special to me. Overall, I'm satisfied with my middle name.

I've always liked the name Helen. It sounds so elegant and sophisticated, and it ages flawlessly. It is truly a vintage gem. I love Helena, as well.

This is my best friend's name so personally I love it! I know it’s a bit old but my friend Helen is really into history and old names so it really fits her well! I will always love it for that reason, and I just like the name in general!

Not my favourite, too old for me.

No offense to any Helen’s out there but I don’t like it at all. It’s very outdated and reminds me of an old woman. The word hell is in it too and that’s just very off putting. Also, all the Helen’s I’ve met haven’t been very nice.

This is my real name. I do not think it suits me at all. I absolutely hate being called it. I go by Lene now. Pronounced like Lenny. If you have this name I’m sure it’s cuter on you. (:

I prefer Helena but I will say that this name can be pretty on its own. Very much a classic.

I personally think this name is so pretty, since I was a little girl I’ve loved this name so much! I think either “Helen” or “Hellen” are both nice spellings.

This is the name I was assigned to at birth. I do not like it, it does not fit me at all. However if this is your name that's awesome. The meaning is also the most beautiful woman in Greece.

Though not pretty, it is still a classic, and seems to belong to creative women.

I don’t wanna hurt anyone’s feelings if you have the name Helen it can be very beautiful but…. It reminds me of the ghost Helen from that horror story. So it’s kinda spooky, at the same time it’s kinda an old lady name as this story was made in the 1800s.

No offense, this name is really unpleasant.

I feel really bad posting that comment. Even though Helen isn't my favorite name and had bad personal experiences with ladies named Helen. I went too far.

Sorry to say, but when seeing this name I always associate it with Helen Keller or the only friend Jane Eyre made in her childhood. It is a little aged in my heart.

Beautiful, just make sure to not use the spelling Hellen!

Helen and Colin are cute twin names.

I love Helen! Not quite as much as Helena, but I still do love it a lot, like I do most Helen-related names. One advantage it definitely has over Helena is that the pronunciation is less of an issue in the Anglophone world, while, just like Helena, it's also easily recognizable and not confusing in many other countries. It is a bit less feminine and a bit more boring in my opinion, but not sufficiently that I'd like it significantly less. It also has more of an old-lady name feel to it than Helena does in my opinion, but, for me, it's not associated with older people to such a degree that I wouldn't be able to imagine it on a younger person, especially that I've come across a lot of younger Helens in their 30s and 40s. As a blind person, the Helen Keller association is a definitely positive thing for me. The nicknames are lovely, I love Nellie, Ellie, Hellie. I see where people are coming from with the melon and hell associations but I'm surprised that they are offputting to so many people and play such a huge role in someone's opinion of the name. Melon is definitely not something I think about when thinking of the name Helen (it's possible that it's because my native language is Polish and pronounced the Polish way it doesn't sound quite as similarly as in English), and hell is not my first thought when I think of it either. Perhaps when it's actually spelt Hellen it feels more prominent, but still, I feel like there are so many more pleasant associations with this name one can have. Oh and Helen of Troy is a great namesake as well.

Pretty, but I think Elena or Helena might be better in a modern environment.

Sorry, but the "hell" part sticks out too much.

Pretty but I prefer Helena.

Yes, I agree with -blue. I think Helena is prettier.

I like Helena more, because Helena looks more complete and mature. Helen feels a little bit boring, dry. I don't like it!

My name... I quite like it... to the person who thinks it’s for a 90-100 year woman, there are lots of Helen’s my age in the UK and I am in my 30s - not a particularly nice thing to say though. The Irish for Helen is Eibhilin (I know I’m missing my fadas) or, for the anglicised spelling, Eileen.

Love it! Super classy. I also like Helena and Elena.

HELLen is a better spelling >:)

This is my name. I was named after my late great-grandmother who lived by Niagara Falls. Growing up in California I've met quite a few people named Helen. Obviously most are older, but I've met a few girls my age with it too. Notably, there is another Helen in my graduating HS class of 2021.

---

Helen is a versatile name. It could be used for a princess, like Grace Kelly, or an astronaut the likes of Sally Ride. However, while it could fit many girls, I would say that the name is very feminine and carries a certain air of gravity/weight. It is strong, blunt, and austere/serious before elegant or light, and while I've grown into it and it fits me, it may not be the best choice for another girl.

---

The meaning is beautiful. I had these Greek myth books in preschool and we learned about the Greek and Roman empires for most of 3rd and 4th grade. Helen of Troy is a nice namesake and I loved the association. When I was older I looked up my name and also loved the bright and warm quality that came with the meaning of 'torch' and 'fire'.

---

Some other things:
A childhood friend of mine used to call me Helen-melon-watermelon and my mother used to call me Helen-melon. It's a sweet and cutesy nickname that that was endearing... but it definitely could be used against a chubbier child. I also never got 'Helen-Keller' or 'Hell' despite my less than stellar personality as a kid (but this may be due to being very privileged and having well-respected parents).

---

All and all, Helen is a good name that ages well and isn't that dated. But you should consider whether it suits your family's vibe and perhaps your child's future personality.

I think of a 90-100 year old woman! Not appealing!

Not bad, but way too associated with Helen Keller. I prefer Helena.

Sounds plain.

Old lady name!

I'm Chinese and my first English teacher named me Helen when I was in kindergarten. As a green hand at that time,"Helen" was so mysterious to me and I was a little proud of it even though I didn't know the meaning behind it. As time went by, I gradually understood the name and have used it for almost 12 years. It has been a part of me.

Such a pretty name. It ages well, and fits personalities of a lot of different girls. I love the pairing Helen Violet.

Very pretty.

Soft, flowing, and elegant with a lovely meaning.

Okay name. Hell never comes to mind when I hear it.

Hi, my name is Helen. Most people don't like my name because it's out of date. When I meet someone new the first thing they say to me is "hey are you blind & deaf" or "did your parents not love you enough to give you a proper name?". People like to give me nicknames like Hell, Helena, Helen Keller, and Satan (because my name starts with Hell.) I used to hate my name but now I like having a name that not that many people have because it gives you character and I'm glad my dad got to pick my name because my mom wanted to name me Lakoda Rayne- it's a nice name but it just wouldn't suit my personality. My dad named me Helen because that was his Aunt's name and she raised him because his mother was never around. And I'm proud that I was named Helen.:)

My name is Helen. I never knew it was old fashioned. I do get mockery about the first syllable. There’s this kid in my year who starts every question she asks me with “What/How/Why the hell... en”. I hate that someone associates my name with Hell. But the person who mocks me has a WAY worse name.

I think Helen is a pretty name, but personally I prefer Elena.

Growing up in the 21st century with this name has been tough, I’m not gonna lie. I’m not fond of my own name. I mean kids would call me old lady or even worse, Hell. I really tried for this name to grow on me but I believe it should be left back in the 1900s. Helen is a BEAUTIFUL name but it’s just not for me.

Pretty name.

I prefer Elaine.

I think it's nice but I prefer Helena or Helene.

A dowdy, old lady name. It's good that this name is unpopular, and hopefully it will stay that way.

UGH. I'm British and it was the scourge of the 1970s. Nasty ugly old spinster name. Vile.

It's just... yuk!

It sounds too old school, Elena sounds much better if you’ve seen my comment on Elena.

I don't like the name because it sounds like hell, melon, alien, and holen /ho-len/ (a Filipino word for marbles, the children's toys). I also find it plain and old-fashioned nowadays. It lacks charm and "oomph", thus unappealing for me.

My name is Helen and I love it. Dad wanted to call me Melody! I'm sure glad Mum won that argument. Mum did not like shortened names, so I have always been called Helen by the family. I have been called all types of endearing nicknames. Helly is the most common one. Hel, Hels, Helly Welly, Hells Bells, are a few more. Not so keen on Hells Bells though. I'm also called Melon (by one sibling in particular), because I love watermelon and it's stuck with me since I was a child. My birthday is the same as one of the feast days. I've only just become aware of that. Also one of my nieces is called Elly. I also had an Aunty called Helen in Wales, who named one of her daughters Eleanor. I hadn't come across Neleh until I read the comments here. I really like it too. It has an Aussie tang to it. Suits me :-)

Helen sounds a bit too masculine in my opinion (not that it'd ever work for a boy lol!) I like Helena more.

Good name, what about Helene or Helena though?

I'm not the hugest fan of Helen, but it is my daughter's middle name. She's named after my husband's Great-Aunt. I prefer Helena over Helen personally.

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest Mt. St. Helen's is a gem of the region! I was not alive when the mountain blew, but I grew up with it in site my whole childhood. It is special to me and that's a big reason why I love the name Helen. It's also old fashioned and pretty and ages well. Nicknames could be Elle, Ellie. Cons: Has the word hell in it, rhymes with melon.

Helen is not a particularly beautiful name, but, for some reason it seems special to me. People like Helen Keller and Helen Steiner Rice make it seem like a name for a girl that is deep and creative.

Helen is a beautiful, practical, sophisticated name. It's classy and stunning. (:

This is one of my favourite female names. It feels very different to 'Ellen', and I like it a lot better. It was the name of a girl I liked. It doesn't feel dated to me, as she is about thirty now and she is the most memorable Helen I've known.

My adorable 3 year old niece is named Helen, she goes by Nellie. I absolutely adore the name and I think Nellie is such a sweet nickname. I admit I wasn't a big fan of the name until my sister told me she was considering it for her daughter, and I fell in love with it. It's very unfortunately underused nowadays, and I'm not sure why. I guess most parents are picking 'modern' names for their kids. I bet a hundred years ago no one would've ever thought that a girl named Helen would stick out from all her classmates!

Every time I hear this name, I think of Rose Byrne's character in Bridesmaids. It's a good association though, she's really pretty :) that could be part of the reason why I like the name Helen now, as it helped me associate it with younger generations rather than elderly women. Now I always think of pretty young women when I hear this name.

Helen has hell in it so I would NEVER pick it. I hate the name anyways, its dated and blah.

I knew a little girl named Helen, and although it's not my favorite name, I was sooo relieved to see that at least some people have sense and class when naming their children! A girl named Helen will be taken much more seriously and probably more respected than a forty year old woman named Madison or kaylee, which is going to be absolutely hilarious and pathetic in about thirty years when the world is filled with them :/

Helen is an awesome name since it is my name. It's meaning is shining light or sun ray or torch or shining one. I don't know which meaning is right though!

Since I am a Helen I love it! I was named after my Grandmother (as well as my middle name) and I always loved that I was the only one my age named Helen. So I never had to add the first letter of my last name or go by my last name as a kid.

Cool and calm, but a bit dull.

I can't think of a female name most recognizably Greek in the modern world than this. We have all heard of the famed Helen of Troy, possessing beauty that can start wars.

---

I am curious as to know why the word "Hellenic" is synonymous with Greek culture. If this name symbolizes the moon or torches, what significance does these items have for the Greeks? Did ancient Greeks believe they were the "light" of the world with the knowledge they gained?

Like the end of hell.

I like this name. It's pretty, classic, and the nickname Nellie is adorable. I do prefer Helena, however.

Helen is a good name but kind of boring. Helena is better.

I don't see how anyone can not like this name. It's practically perfect in every way: simple, pretty, goes well with a lot of other names, overall just beautiful.

Meh- it's quite dated. It's like the babyboomer version of Hazel or Ethel.

This name is alright; but it comes with some of the best possible nicknames--Nell/e, Nellie/y, and Nella!

I think it's gorgeous name!

My name happens to be Helen. I LOVE IT! One of my nicknames happens to be Melon. Great name, great nickname. Also, I have never met anyone near my age with my name. The end.

Helen is an absolutely lovely name, and it carries so many previous, wonderful bearers with it. If you don't like it, why are you looking it up?

I love the name Helen. It's my beautiful baby girl's name. I have always found the story of Helen of Troy fascinating and I really like literary names for girls.

I think Helen is a rather ugly name.

It's not such a bad name per se, but it sounds like the name of a middle-aged woman nowadays. Quite frankly, I don't think I want it to become popular again, as reading the wrong blogs has introduced me to the nauseating views of life of a certain Dr. Helen. Anyway, it's quite a dull name, even if one that sounds relatively sane, if you get my drift.

In Jane Eyre, Helen was one of my favorite characters despite being so minor. A beautiful name, too, I also like the story of Helen of Troy.

The only thing I don't like about my name is that people keep calling me Helen Keller or ask me if I'm gellin' and then act like it's the most unique comment in the world. I've only heard it ten billion times! Also, many people spell it with 2 l's, and sometimes think I'm saying "Ellen" when I introduce myself. Still, I'm glad it's my name.

Yeah that's true. People do think you're saying Ellen, and why do people think there are 2 l's in Helen? I love it!

I love the name Helen, being a Helen myself, I love the fact that no-one has it.

My daughter's name is Helen. I wanted something simple that wouldn't get shortened. It does get shortened even by me. I named her after Helen of Troy from my studies in Classical Studies. I genuinely like the name and it suits her!

My middle name is Helen. I've never really liked it much, but it's ok. I would prefer Ellie or Ella, but Victoria Helen sounds quite nice I think.

What a beautiful name! It rolls off the tongue so nicely.

I used to not really like the name Helen because I felt as if too many middle-aged and older women were named it. But recently I have rather taken a great liking to it and I now think it is very beautiful. I still prefer Helena over Helen, but I think that Helen is a good, strong name to have.

I think Helen is a cool name and those of you with problems with people named Helen have no right to be rude to everyone named Helen! So you can comment your own name.

My best friend in the whole world's name is Helen. I really like this name. It's not overused, and it's got a sophisticated sound to it. Like Neleh (who is the Helen I know) said, there are so many nicknames for Helen.

The only Helens I know of I don't like much so this has turned me off this name totally.

Whenever I think of the name Helen, I think of my mother's secretary from when I was a child. She was a sour woman, so maybe that's why I don't like the name much.

I personally think Helen is a beautiful, elegant, and feminine name - not to mention classic. It's definitely something I'd consider naming my child, if I ever have one. Also, Helen Keller ROCKS.

This is my favorite female name. (And I am even familiar with anyone by the name of Helen) I just love how it sounds and the way the name feels.

I think the name Helen ROCKS!

My name is Helen and I think it totally ROCKS! If your name is Helen but you don't want to go by that, there's always Ella, Ellen, and Neleh (which is Helen backwards). ROCK ON HELENS OF THE WORLD!

My name is Lenuta, a Romanian derivate from Helen and I think that this name is the most beautiful name in the world. Let's remember Helen of Troy, the woman who made a war possible. :)

I just don't like this name, both Helen's I know are not nice. I think of this name as Hell-on.

I think that Helen is an absolutely RUBBISH NAME. I dunno why you would call anyone Helen - OMG it sounds like Melon!

Helen is my mum's name, and I think it's very elegant and womanly.

Helen is a beautiful name, and it is also a very popular name in Germany.