Helen (given name)
 Eastern Orthodox icon of Saint Constantine the Great and Saint Helena, his mother. | |
| Gender | Female |
|---|---|
| Name day | 21 May (Orthodox, Anglican & Lutheran Churches); 19 May (Certain Lutheran Churches); 18 August (Roman Catholic Church) |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Greek |
| Meaning | 'light' or 'bright' |
| Other names | |
| Nickname(s) | Len, Lena, Leny, Lenie, Lonnie, Nell, Nellie |
| Related names | Elen, Elene, Ellen, Elena, Helena, Helene, Helaine, Elaine |
| Popularity | see popular names |
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][citation needed] 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 enjoyed a massive burst of popularity in the United States during the first two decades of the 20th century where it was one of the top ten names for baby girls, but became less common by 1920.[citation needed]
People with the given name Helen
- Helen Adams (born 1978), British television personality
- Helen Atkinson-Wood (born 1955), English actress
- Helen Bjørnøy (born 1954), Norwegian politician
- Helen Blatch (born 1933), British actress
- Helen Broderick (1891–1959), American actress
- Helen Chadwick (1953–1996), English artist
- Helen Clark (born 1950), New Zealand politician
- Helen Clark (born 1954), British politician
- Helen Cross (born 1967), English author
- Helen Cross, Australian politician
- 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 Gandy (1897–1988), American civil servant
- Helen Garner (born 1942), Australian author
- Helen Grant (born 1961), British politician
- Helen Grant (born 1964), English author
- Helen Grant (born 1979), English field hockey player
- Helen Hayes (1900–1993), American actress
- Helen Humes (1913–1981), American singer
- Helen Hunt (born 1963), American actress
- Helen Kane (1904–1966), American singer
- Helen Keller (1880–1968), American author, political activist and lecturer
- Helen Klaos (born 1983), Estonian badminton player
- Helene Mayer (1910–1953), German fencer
- Helen Mirren (born 1945), English actress
- Helen Morgan (1900–1941), American singer
- Helen Morse (born 1947), Australian actress
- Helen Nielsen, American writer
- Helen Pai, American television writer, director, and producer
- Helén Pettersson (born 1972), Swedish politician
- Helen Plaschinski (born 1963), Mexican swimmer
- Helen Beatrix Potter (1866–1943), English author, illustrator and natural scientist
- Helen Reddy (born 1941), Australian singer
- Helen Jairag Richardson (born 1938), Indian actress
- Helen Richardson-Walsh (born 1981), an English field hockey player
- 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 Stephens (1918–1994), American athlete
- 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
- Helen Tobias-Duesberg (1919–2010), Estonian-American composer
- Helen Volk (born 1954), Zimbabwean field hockey player
- Helen Zille (born 1951), South African politician
See also
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.
- ^ a b "Helen". Behind the Name.
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