International Variations of Helen
Updated Fri Feb 16 2024
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Helen is a girl's name with a long and legendary history. Meaning "the bright one" in Greek, she was the beautiful queen in Homer's Iliad. Other notable Helens include disabilities activist and author Helen Keller, painter Helen Frankenthaler, and actress Helen Mirren.
Along with Elena and Eliana, other international variations of Helen in the US Top 1000 include Elaina, Elianna, Elina, Helena, Eileen, Nora, Lena, and Ellen. Leni, Eilidh, Elin, and Helene are among the foreign variations of Helen that are common abroad but rare in the US. Helen is experiencing record lows but remains a classic name. If you are looking to honor a special Helen in your life or want a name with a brilliant, time-honored history, explore our list of international variations of Helen, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
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- Nora
Origin:
Diminutive of Honora or Eleonora, LatinMeaning:
"honor or meaning unknown"Description:
Nora is a lovely, refined name that conjures up images of Belle Epoch ladies in fur-trimmed coats skating in Central Park. Long seen as a quintessentially Irish name though its roots are not in Ireland, Nora is a quietly stylish favorite that's tiptoed to the top of the popularity ladder.
- Elena
Origin:
Spanish, Italian, German, Greek variation of HelenMeaning:
"bright, shining light"Description:
Elena is at its most popular point ever in the US, thanks to its cross-cultural appeal and the overall popularity of El- names. It's more international than Ellen or Eleanor, but still accessible.
- Eliana
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"my God has answered"Description:
Eliana is a lilting, rhythmic choice, which has caught on in the US and other English-speaking countries. Currently popular in the UK, The Netherlands, Canada, and Brazil, it also makes the US Top 50 -- and the Top 10 if you count all spellings.
- Eli
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"ascended, uplifted, high"Description:
With its sharp, succinct sounds and cool, laidback style, Eli is a popular choice among parents today. Compact and punchy, it is a Biblical name with plenty of charm.
- Helena
Origin:
Latinate form of Helen, GreekMeaning:
"torch; shining light"Description:
Helena is one of those classic names that just misses making the US Top 1000 girl names for its entire history, falling off for a single year in 1992. Since then it's been drifting lazily up the charts, and makes a perfect choice if you want a name that both fits in and stands out.
- Lena
Origin:
English, Scottish, Dutch, German, and Scandinavian, diminutive of various names ending in -lenaDescription:
This pet form of Helena and other ena-ending names, long used as an independent name, is attracting notice again as an option both multicultural and simple. Lena was a Top 100 name from 1880 to 1920.
- Eileen
Origin:
Scottish variation of EvelynMeaning:
"desired; or water, island"Description:
The Scottish Eileen was a midcentury darling that was on a long downward slide for decades. And then, in 2012, it took an unexpected pivot and has been inching upward in the US. The unrelated but similar-sounding Isla may have revived the taste for Eileen. Isla along with Lee and Lena might be nicknames for Eileen. Eileen is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Eibhlin or Aibhilin, which is technically a form of to Evelyn/Aveline, but is also sometimes considered part of the Helen family of names. Aileen is the Irish version, less popular now than Eileen.
- Leonora
Origin:
Italian diminutive of Eleonora or Eleanor, meaning unknownDescription:
Its mellifluous sound makes Leonora--which has a rich history and a tie to the popular Leo names-- a keen possibility for revival. Though it's been hiding below the Top 1000 since the 1940s, Leonora is being rediscovered by stylish parents in the US and Europe.
- Leni
Origin:
German or Spanish diminutive of Lena, Elena, or Helen, GreekMeaning:
"shining torch"Description:
An up-and-coming nickname-style name, hugely popular in Germany and on the rise in the UK, Leni is stylish but sweet. Chosen for her daughter by high-profile German supermodel Heidi Klum back in 2004, Leni with its concise spelling and European feel is also on the rise in the US, alongside Lennie, Lenny, Lennox, and Lennon.
- Elina
Origin:
Spanish, Italian, German, Greek, and English variation of HelenMeaning:
"bright, shining light"Description:
Elina is one of the many variations of mother name Helen to make the US Top 1000 list, and is given to around 300 girls each year. While it might blend in among the Helenas, Elenas, and Alinas, it might be a good way to go if you want the eh-lee-nuh pronunciation or the potential for nicknames Elle, Ellie, or Ella.
- Eilidh
Origin:
Gaelic form of EleanorDescription:
Long popular in Scotland, this attractive name is strictly-speaking the Gaelic version of Eleanor, but is also often considered part of the Helen family of names. After the Normans introduced it into the British Isles, it was transformed into Aileen or Evelyn. It has rarely been heard in the US, but it is slowly starting to be used here too.
- Eliora
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"the Lord is my light"Description:
A pretty and melodic name of Hebrew origin that combines the elements el referring to God, li meaning "for me", and or meaning "light". The name entered the UK Top 1000 for the first time in 2023, and it's easy to understand why. With its rich vowel sounds and playful elegance, Eliora shares the sounds of other popular choices like Eleanor, Eliana, Aurora, and Elodie, which also remaining distinctive.
- Lina
Origin:
Arabic; Latin diminutiveMeaning:
"tender"Description:
This pretty, succinct Arabic name is also commonly used as a nickname for names like Carolina.
- Ellen
Origin:
English variation of HelenMeaning:
"torch; shining light"Description:
An medieval English form of Helen, the sensitive but clear-eyed Ellen has swung in and out of style for centuries, often alternating with the parent name. Ellen was the more common in medieval England, until after the Renaissance, when Helen overtook her. In Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence, set at the end of the nineteenth century, one character wonders why another has not changed her "ugly" given name to something prettier, like Elaine—a statement few would make today.
- Aileen
Origin:
Irish variation of HelenMeaning:
"bright, shining light"Description:
Irish Aileen and Scottish Eileen may be pronounced the same way or Aileen can be pronounced with a long a at the beginning. While neither is particularly stylish, Aileen is slightly more popular and has reversed its downward slide to inch upward in the past few years, perhaps thanks to its stylish A beginning. Nicknames for Aileen include Isla, Ayla, Lee and Lena.
- Elaina
Origin:
Variation of Elaine or Elena,"bright, shining light"Meaning:
"bright, shining light"Description:
While both Elaine and Elena are on an upward trajectory, Elaina has shifted up and down the charts in recent years, making no big moves in either direction. Steadily used, this blend of the two could make it clearer which pronunciation is preferred.
- Elin
Origin:
Swedish variation of EllenDescription:
The Elin variation makes an old favorite sleeker and more modern. Elin came to prominence via the ex-Mrs.Tiger Woods and is now perhaps best known via novelist Elin Hildebrand.. It entered the US Top 1000 in 2010, though it's now dropped off again.
- Ilona
Origin:
Hungarian variation of Helen, FinnishMeaning:
"shining torch; light; joy"Description:
This variant of Helen is used across Europe, in France, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, and it's native Hungary. Reminiscent of Elena, Leona, Ilaria, Fiona and Lola, it nevertheless remains a rarity in the US.
- Eleni
Origin:
Greek variation of HelenDescription:
A common choice in Greece, Eleni is starting to rise in the US too thanks to its bouncy rhythm and cool -i ending. Also familiar in England and Wales, Eleni was chosen for 255 girls in the US in 2024, placing it just outside the Top 1000.
- Eleonora
Origin:
Italian, German, Dutch, and Polish variation of EleanorDescription:
Makes a serious name frilly and feminine, which, depending on your viewpoint, might be a good or a bad thing. In this case, we vote good.