Helene
Girl name · #3577 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Helene? In official American birth records, Helene has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Helene is currently the #3577 girl name in the United States — 42 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #3705, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 42,857 girls born in 2025 was named Helene.
Babies named Helene per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Helene first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 17 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 728 girls were named Helene — good for #235 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Helene against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Helene in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Helene is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Helene will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Helene is most common
State-level data for Helene is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Helene
Statistically, parents drawn to Helene tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Pauline, Arlene, Loraine, Sallie, and Fannie.
PaulineArleneLoraineSallieFannieMinnieBerniceJohnnie
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Helene | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 42 | #3577 |
| 2024 | 40 | #3758 |
| 2023 | 35 | #4114 |
| 2022 | 30 | #4582 |
| 2021 | 27 | #4833 |
| 2020 | 36 | #3915 |
| 2019 | 32 | #4343 |
| 2018 | 23 | #5454 |
| 2017 | 32 | #4384 |
| 2016 | 34 | #4250 |
| 2015 | 41 | #3705 |
| 2014 | 33 | #4350 |
| 2013 | 41 | #3703 |
| 2012 | 28 | #4957 |
| 2011 | 39 | #3843 |
| 2010 | 37 | #4023 |
| 2009 | 31 | #4677 |
| 2008 | 31 | #4761 |
| 2007 | 48 | #3428 |
| 2006 | 47 | #3414 |
| 2005 | 43 | #3461 |
| 2004 | 54 | #2927 |
| 2003 | 102 | #1823 |
| 2002 | 40 | #3394 |
| 2001 | 48 | #2963 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Helene?
In official American birth records, the name Helene first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 17 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Helene a popular girl name?
Helene ranked #3577 among girls in 2025 with 42 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3705.
When was the name Helene most popular?
Helene peaked in 1918, when 728 American girls received the name (ranked #235 that year). Since 1918 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Helene?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 42,857 newborn American girls was named Helene. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.