International Baby Names
International Variations of Helen
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About this list
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.
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The names
Eliana
Hebrew, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English
"my God has answered; sun"
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 made the US Top 10 for…
Nora
Diminutive of Honora or Eleonora, Latin
"honor or meaning unknown"
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…
Elena
Spanish, Italian, German, Greek variation of Helen
"bright, shining light"
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. A…
Eli
Hebrew
"ascended, uplifted, high"
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. Derived from the Hebrew ’aly ,…
Elianna
Variation of Eliana, Hebrew, Latin
"my God has answered; sun"
Eliana and her spelling variations are multicultural favorites that have been rising across the English-speaking world since the turn of the 21st century. Popular in Netherlands, the UK, Canada,…
Elaina
Variation of Elaine or Elena,"bright, shining light"
"bright, shining light"
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…
Lena
English, Scottish, Dutch, German, and Scandinavian, diminutive of various names ending in -lena
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.…
Helena
Latinate form of Helen, Greek
"torch; shining light"
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…
Lina
Arabic; Latin diminutive
"tender"
This pretty, succinct Arabic name is also commonly used as a nickname for names like Carolina.
Eileen
Anglicization of Eibhlín, Irish, German
"desired; or water, island"
The Gaelic Eileen was a mid-century 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, perhaps inspired by…
Alena
Variation of Helen
Alena is a modern variant of Helen. Alena might also be a spelling twist on the Slavic Alina or a long form of Lena.
Elina
Spanish, Italian, German, Greek, and English variation of Helen
"bright, shining light"
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…
Aileen
Irish variation of Helen
"bright, shining light"
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…
Eliora
Hebrew
"the Lord is my light"
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,…
Eleonora
Italian, German, Dutch, and Polish variation of Eleanor
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.
Elenka
Elenka is a feminine name with Slavic origins, functioning as a diminutive form of Elena or Helen. Popular in countries like Russia, Czech Republic, and Slovakia, it carries the same root meaning as…
Alyona
Diminutive of Yelena, Russian
"bright and shining light"
New name in the pool of international names, added by lovely supermodel Alyona Osmanova.
Eleni
Greek variation of Helen
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…
Alyiona
Variation of Alyona, Russian
"bright and shining light"
A variant of Alyona, which itself originated as a nickname for Yelena, a variation of Helen.
Elen
Elen is a feminine name with ancient Celtic and Welsh origins, representing a traditional Welsh form of Helen. The name has historical significance in Welsh folklore, notably associated with Elen…