Helena is a distinctive choice, ranked #371 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Helena in their class.
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UK Rank 2024
#371
US Rank #414
About the Name Helena
Helena is gradually declining in popularity, having dropped 44 places over five years. Its high point was #145 in 1996, and it now sits at #371. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Helena is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
In the US it sits at #414 — notably more popular in the UK than across the Atlantic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Helena
Unlikely. With around 117 UK babies named Helena per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Helena in her class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Helena has been declining in UK popularity, dropping 44 places in the last five years. Its peak was #145 in 1996. Choosing it now means she is likely to be among the last of her generation with this name.
Helena is more popular in the UK (#371) than in the US (#414). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Helena include: Helena Černohorská — Helena Černohorská is a Czech biathlete.; Helena Lundbäck — Helena Lundbäck is a Swedish equestrian.; Helena Grozer — Helena Grozer, née Havelková is a Czech beach volleyball player..
Helena appears in the US top 500 at #414 in 2024 — moderately popular in America, though less so than in the UK.
117
UK babies named Helena (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.1
In a school of 600
↓ 44 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Helena
Likely around 1 other Helena in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2024)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Helena
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Helena Christensen is a Danish fashion model. She is a former Victoria's Secret Angel, co-founder and original creative director for Nylon magazine, and she is a supporter of funding for breast cancer organizations and other philanthropic charities.
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, often known as Madame Blavatsky, was a Ukrainian and American mystic and writer who co-founded the Theosophical Society in 1875. She gained an international following as the primary founder of Theosophy as a belief system.
Helena Ann Kennedy, Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws, is a Scottish barrister, broadcaster, and Labour member of the House of Lords. She was Principal of Mansfield College, Oxford, from 2011 to 2018.
Helena Rubinstein was a Polish-American businesswoman, art collector, and philanthropist. A cosmetics entrepreneur, she was the founder and eponym of Helena Rubinstein Incorporated cosmetics company, which made her one of the world's richest women.
Briars is the small pavilion in which Napoleon Bonaparte stayed for the first few weeks of his exile on Saint Helena in late 1815 before being moved to Longwood House. The pavilion was in the garden of William Balcombe, an English merchant who became a purveyor to Napoleon.