Helena
Girl name · #363 in 2025 · Uniqueness 40/100
Helena is currently the #363 girl name in the United States — 841 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #534, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,140 girls born in 2025 was named Helena.
Babies named Helena per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Helena first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 60 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 841 babies and a rank of #363. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Helena against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Helena in class?
Helena scores 40 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Helena is most common
Geography matters for names, and Helena is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Helenas were TX (106), CA (102), FL (89), MA (63), NJ (36). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Helena
Statistically, parents drawn to Helena tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Liana, Viviana, Alanna, Alena, and Jimena.
LianaVivianaAlannaAlenaJimenaElainaSienaAleena
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Helena | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 841 | #363 |
| 2024 | 754 | #414 |
| 2023 | 678 | #456 |
| 2022 | 675 | #471 |
| 2021 | 604 | #512 |
| 2020 | 593 | #512 |
| 2019 | 658 | #474 |
| 2018 | 689 | #458 |
| 2017 | 610 | #515 |
| 2016 | 602 | #517 |
| 2015 | 583 | #534 |
| 2014 | 627 | #498 |
| 2013 | 543 | #547 |
| 2012 | 529 | #558 |
| 2011 | 491 | #587 |
| 2010 | 550 | #534 |
| 2009 | 533 | #573 |
| 2008 | 503 | #609 |
| 2007 | 584 | #536 |
| 2006 | 595 | #511 |
| 2005 | 530 | #542 |
| 2004 | 511 | #561 |
| 2003 | 541 | #521 |
| 2002 | 432 | #599 |
| 2001 | 417 | #602 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Helena a popular girl name?
Helena ranked #363 among girls in 2025 with 841 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #534.
When was the name Helena most popular?
Helena peaked in 2025, when 841 American girls received the name (ranked #363 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Helena?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,140 newborn American girls was named Helena. It scores 40/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.