Helene
Meaning
“French form of Helen, traditionally 'torch' or 'shining light'”
Helene around the world
One shared root links 8 names across 5 languages.
Shared root: Greek Helene, traditionally "torch, light", though even the ancients were guessing at its true root
The constellation
More branches
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Helene peaked in the 1910s.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
1,574 people · the #6,061 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 125,000 · median age 37
Among people named Helene living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1980s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 231 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Helene
Most people given the name Helene in the United States were born between 1940 and 1979. The Helene you meet today is most often in her 60s or 70s.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Helene deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Helene truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Helene fits with your family’s names and surname.
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