Helen Name Meaning, Origin & Gender

Helen Name at a Glance

Name	Helen
Meaning	Shining light. The bright one. Helen of Troy, whose elopement with Paris sparked the Trojan War, was the daughter of Zeus and wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta.
Origin	Greek
Gender	Girl

What Does the Name Helen Mean?

According to the information recorded in our baby name database, Helen means “Shining light. The bright one. Helen of Troy, whose elopement with Paris sparked the Trojan War, was the daughter of Zeus and wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta”. Name meanings can vary between languages, regions and naming traditions, so families may also wish to confirm a meaning within the cultural or linguistic context that matters to them.

Helen Name Origin

Our database records Helen under Greek origin. Browse more Greek baby names to compare other names in the same origin collection.

Is Helen a Boy or Girl Name?

In our database, Helen is listed as a girl name. Usage can differ across countries, languages and families.

Choosing the Name Helen

When considering Helen for a baby, you may want to compare its recorded meaning and origin with family traditions, pronunciation, spelling, initials, middle names and how the full name sounds with the family name.