Helen
Girl name · #461 in 2025 · Uniqueness 56/100
Helen ranks #461 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 668 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #419, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,695 girls born in 2025 was named Helen.
The 145-year story
Helen first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 636 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 36,148 girls were named Helen — good for #2 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. 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.
Babies named Helen per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Helen against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Helen in class?
Helen scores 56 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 Helen is most common
Geography matters for names, and Helen is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Helens were CA (68), TX (67), FL (42), VA (40), NY (38). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Helen
Statistically, parents drawn to Helen tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Edith, Irene, Alma, Marie, and Marian.
EdithIreneAlmaMarieMarianFrancesHellenLouise
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Helen | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 668 | #461 |
| 2024 | 728 | #425 |
| 2023 | 777 | #395 |
| 2022 | 749 | #422 |
| 2021 | 704 | #443 |
| 2020 | 721 | #426 |
| 2019 | 743 | #428 |
| 2018 | 745 | #415 |
| 2017 | 764 | #418 |
| 2016 | 816 | #409 |
| 2015 | 767 | #419 |
| 2014 | 802 | #403 |
| 2013 | 740 | #411 |
| 2012 | 772 | #403 |
| 2011 | 731 | #429 |
| 2010 | 705 | #436 |
| 2009 | 826 | #388 |
| 2008 | 885 | #368 |
| 2007 | 932 | #349 |
| 2006 | 949 | #348 |
| 2005 | 961 | #333 |
| 2004 | 861 | #364 |
| 2003 | 783 | #392 |
| 2002 | 875 | #341 |
| 2001 | 884 | #344 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Helen a popular girl name?
Helen ranked #461 among girls in 2025 with 668 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #419.
When was the name Helen most popular?
Helen peaked in 1918, when 36,148 American girls received the name (ranked #2 that year). Since 1918 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Helen?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,695 newborn American girls was named Helen. It scores 56/100 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.