Helen (given name)

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Helen
Given Name


Eastern Orthodox icon of Saint Constantine the Great and Saint Helena, his mother.
Gender Female
Meaning "light"
Region of Origin Worldwide
Origin Greek
Popularity Popular names page
Wikipedia articles All pages beginning with Helen
Look up Helen in
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Helen is a feminine given name derived from the Greek ‘ελενη or Helene, meaning "torch" or "corposant." Another possible derivation is the Greek σεληνη or Selene, meaning "moon."[1] Helen of Troy is a character in Greek mythology. The name was widely used by early Christians due to Saint Helena, the mother of the emperor Constantine I, who according to legend found a piece of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified when she traveled to Jerusalem.[2]

The name has many variants in languages and countries across the world. The related name Eleanor is derived from the Provençal name Ænor, which comes from the words lenire, meaning "to heal," and adoucir, "to soften". The first woman called by the name was Eleanor of Aquitaine, a queen consort of France and of England in the twelfth century, who was named Ænor after her mother and called Aliénor, from Alia-Ænor, meaning "the other Ænor" in the Occitan language. The name Eleanor has also been associated with and regarded as a form of the older name Helen and shares many of its variants. It is the name of many saints and queens.

[edit] Name variants

Alternate forms of Helen, including short forms and diminutives, include:

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Behind the Name
  2. ^ Behind the Name