Helen
#461 for girls in 2025, 668 births · Last seen for boys in 2004 at #11,356
Given to girls 99.7% of the time
Showing
- Peak · girls
- 1918 · 36,148 births
- Debut · girls
- 636 births
- In top 100 · girls
- 79 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 1,024,202since 1880
Helen over time
girls
Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #461 | 668 | — | |
| 2024 | #425 | 728 | — | |
| 2023 | #395 | 777 | — | |
| 2022 | #422 | 749 | — | |
| 2021 | #443 | 704 | — | |
| 2020 | #426 | 721 | — | |
| 2019 | #428 | 743 | — | |
| 2018 | #415 | 745 | — | |
| 2017 | #418 | 764 | — | |
| 2016 | #409 | 816 | — | |
| 2015 | #419 | 767 | — | |
| 2014 | #403 | 802 | — | |
| 2013 | #411 | 740 | — | |
| 2012 | #403 | 772 | — | |
| 2011 | #429 | 731 | — | |
| 2010 | #436 | 705 | — | |
| 2009 | #388 | 826 | — | |
| 2008 | #368 | 885 | — | |
| 2007 | #349 | 932 | — | |
| 2006 | #348 | 949 | — | |
| 2005 | #333 | 961 | — | |
| 2004 | #364 | 861 | #11,356 | 5 |
| 2003 | #392 | 783 | — | |
| 2002 | #341 | 875 | — | |
| 2001 | #344 | 884 | — | |
| 2000 | #345 | 891 | — | |
| 1999 | #356 | 841 | — | |
| 1998 | #348 | 832 | — | |
| 1997 | #345 | 812 | — | |
| 1996 | #312 | 900 | — | |
| 1995 | #325 | 837 | — | |
| 1994 | #321 | 849 | #8,800 | 5 |
| 1993 | #307 | 867 | #8,700 | 5 |
| 1992 | #326 | 828 | — | |
| 1991 | #340 | 774 | #8,236 | 5 |
| 1990 | #316 | 863 | #6,415 | 7 |
| 1989 | #305 | 858 | #4,811 | 10 |
| 1988 | #321 | 774 | #5,751 | 7 |
| 1987 | #297 | 816 | — | |
| 1986 | #311 | 766 | #5,926 | 6 |
| 1985 | #301 | 808 | #5,785 | 6 |
| 1984 | #281 | 858 | #4,973 | 7 |
| 1983 | #278 | 844 | — | |
| 1982 | #279 | 876 | — | |
| 1981 | #275 | 899 | — | |
| 1980 | #272 | 914 | — | |
| 1979 | #278 | 879 | #6,056 | 5 |
| 1978 | #255 | 925 | #5,772 | 5 |
| 1977 | #249 | 994 | #5,123 | 6 |
| 1976 | #250 | 943 | #3,724 | 9 |
| 1975 | #229 | 1,059 | #4,797 | 6 |
| 1974 | #225 | 1,140 | #4,190 | 7 |
| 1973 | #221 | 1,137 | — | |
| 1972 | #225 | 1,241 | #3,344 | 9 |
| 1971 | #209 | 1,440 | #3,370 | 9 |
| 1970 | #191 | 1,718 | #3,282 | 9 |
| 1969 | #175 | 1,858 | #2,861 | 10 |
| 1968 | #173 | 1,884 | #2,445 | 12 |
| 1967 | #158 | 2,157 | #2,985 | 8 |
| 1966 | #144 | 2,447 | #3,948 | 5 |
| 1965 | #137 | 2,800 | #2,178 | 14 |
| 1964 | #132 | 3,100 | #2,854 | 9 |
| 1963 | #124 | 3,338 | #2,858 | 9 |
| 1962 | #128 | 3,586 | #2,035 | 16 |
| 1961 | #119 | 3,858 | #2,409 | 12 |
| 1960 | #117 | 4,071 | #2,685 | 10 |
| 1959 | #108 | 4,375 | #2,111 | 15 |
| 1958 | #100 | 4,772 | #1,766 | 20 |
| 1957 | #95 | 5,019 | #2,190 | 14 |
| 1956 | #90 | 5,278 | #1,945 | 17 |
| 1955 | #78 | 5,592 | #1,791 | 19 |
| 1954 | #72 | 5,947 | #2,114 | 14 |
| 1953 | #65 | 6,123 | #1,709 | 20 |
| 1952 | #63 | 6,464 | #1,856 | 17 |
| 1951 | #54 | 6,949 | #2,055 | 14 |
| 1950 | #50 | 7,061 | #1,701 | 19 |
| 1949 | #46 | 7,707 | #1,409 | 27 |
| 1948 | #40 | 8,301 | #1,559 | 22 |
| 1947 | #38 | 8,979 | #1,519 | 24 |
| 1946 | #36 | 8,852 | #1,217 | 33 |
| 1945 | #31 | 8,301 | #1,204 | 30 |
| 1944 | #31 | 8,696 | #1,107 | 36 |
| 1943 | #28 | 9,800 | #1,106 | 38 |
| 1942 | #26 | 10,016 | #1,119 | 37 |
| 1941 | #24 | 9,887 | #905 | 49 |
| 1940 | #18 | 10,203 | #1,050 | 38 |
| 1939 | #16 | 10,420 | #931 | 45 |
| 1938 | #13 | 10,837 | #757 | 65 |
| 1937 | #12 | 11,453 | #751 | 66 |
| 1936 | #11 | 12,234 | #844 | 52 |
| 1935 | #10 | 12,785 | #750 | 67 |
| 1934 | #9 | 14,100 | #897 | 49 |
| 1933 | #8 | 14,644 | #637 | 82 |
| 1932 | #8 | 16,376 | #632 | 89 |
| 1931 | #6 | 17,664 | #756 | 67 |
| 1930 | #4 | 19,913 | #685 | 83 |
| 1929 | #4 | 20,983 | #705 | 77 |
| 1928 | #4 | 22,937 | #669 | 88 |
| 1927 | #4 | 25,316 | #662 | 92 |
| 1926 | #4 | 26,886 | #745 | 74 |
| 1925 | #4 | 29,173 | #723 | 80 |
| 1924 | #3 | 31,194 | #746 | 79 |
| 1923 | #3 | 31,486 | #860 | 62 |
| 1922 | #3 | 32,510 | #830 | 67 |
| 1921 | #3 | 34,822 | #849 | 66 |
| 1920 | #3 | 35,097 | #853 | 63 |
| 1919 | #2 | 33,706 | #850 | 60 |
| 1918 | #2 | 36,148 | #706 | 80 |
| 1917 | #2 | 34,251 | #804 | 61 |
| 1916 | #2 | 32,661 | #641 | 83 |
| 1915 | #2 | 30,866 | #776 | 60 |
| 1914 | #2 | 23,221 | #697 | 54 |
| 1913 | #2 | 18,888 | #615 | 51 |
| 1912 | #2 | 16,133 | #692 | 38 |
| 1911 | #2 | 11,801 | #426 | 46 |
| 1910 | #2 | 10,479 | #512 | 30 |
| 1909 | #2 | 9,250 | #408 | 36 |
| 1908 | #2 | 8,439 | #438 | 30 |
| 1907 | #2 | 7,579 | #540 | 20 |
| 1906 | #2 | 7,176 | #431 | 26 |
| 1905 | #2 | 6,811 | #421 | 26 |
| 1904 | #2 | 6,488 | #587 | 15 |
| 1903 | #2 | 6,129 | #357 | 29 |
| 1902 | #2 | 5,967 | #360 | 30 |
| 1901 | #2 | 5,247 | #466 | 17 |
| 1900 | #2 | 6,342 | #578 | 18 |
| 1899 | #3 | 5,048 | #481 | 16 |
| 1898 | #3 | 5,230 | #505 | 17 |
| 1897 | #3 | 4,519 | #495 | 16 |
| 1896 | #3 | 4,392 | #722 | 10 |
| 1895 | #3 | 4,023 | #491 | 17 |
| 1894 | #4 | 3,676 | #787 | 8 |
| 1893 | #6 | 3,249 | #768 | 8 |
| 1892 | #9 | 2,936 | #861 | 7 |
| 1891 | #9 | 2,417 | #635 | 9 |
| 1890 | #12 | 2,312 | #814 | 7 |
| 1889 | #17 | 1,909 | #722 | 8 |
| 1888 | #16 | 1,847 | #1,031 | 5 |
| 1887 | #21 | 1,405 | — | |
| 1886 | #25 | 1,267 | — | |
| 1885 | #28 | 1,134 | #836 | 6 |
| 1884 | #33 | 986 | — | |
| 1883 | #35 | 862 | #892 | 5 |
| 1882 | #31 | 838 | — | |
| 1881 | #43 | 612 | #706 | 7 |
| 1880 | #35 | 636 | — | |
First appearance
1880
In the first year the SSA published name data, Helen was already there! It came in at #35, and was given to 636 baby girls.
Quietest stretch: 1880–1883, when fewer than 870 girls a year got the name.
Where Helen is popular in 1936
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · girls
- New Mexico#2 · 1 in 43
- Hawaii#5 · 1 in 46
- Arizona#5 · 1 in 51
- Louisiana#7 · 1 in 75
- West Virginia#8 · 1 in 62
Best ever in a state: #1 in Washington, 1910.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | #2 | 112 | 1 in 43 |
| Arizona | #5 | 78 | 1 in 51 |
| Hawaii | #5 | 61 | 1 in 46 |
| Louisiana | #7 | 272 | 1 in 75 |
| West Virginia | #8 | 295 | 1 in 62 |
| Arkansas | #9 | 219 | 1 in 79 |
| Mississippi | #9 | 248 | 1 in 86 |
| Tennessee | #9 | 397 | 1 in 67 |
| District of Columbia | #10 | 85 | 1 in 52 |
| Kentucky | #10 | 343 | 1 in 75 |
| Maryland | #10 | 195 | 1 in 57 |
| Pennsylvania | #10 | 1,133 | 1 in 63 |
| South Carolina | #10 | 254 | 1 in 79 |
| Wyoming | #10 | 31 | 1 in 50 |
| Delaware | #11 | 26 | 1 in 51 |
| Georgia | #11 | 338 | 1 in 87 |
| Missouri | #11 | 353 | 1 in 73 |
| Montana | #11 | 67 | 1 in 58 |
| New York | #11 | 1,100 | 1 in 74 |
| North Carolina | #11 | 494 | 1 in 72 |
| Texas | #11 | 591 | 1 in 93 |
| Colorado | #12 | 112 | 1 in 71 |
| Idaho | #12 | 58 | 1 in 65 |
| Oklahoma | #12 | 239 | 1 in 84 |
| Florida | #13 | 142 | 1 in 89 |
| Virginia | #13 | 314 | 1 in 72 |
| Alabama | #14 | 288 | 1 in 98 |
| California | #14 | 432 | 1 in 85 |
| New Jersey | #14 | 337 | 1 in 70 |
| Illinois | #15 | 549 | 1 in 92 |
| Massachusetts | #16 | 348 | 1 in 78 |
| Michigan | #17 | 415 | 1 in 93 |
| South Dakota | #17 | 71 | 1 in 72 |
| Alaska | #18 | 6 | 1 in 45 |
| Kansas | #18 | 146 | 1 in 85 |
| Ohio | #18 | 539 | 1 in 87 |
| Rhode Island | #18 | 56 | 1 in 74 |
| Utah | #19 | 55 | 1 in 83 |
| Connecticut | #20 | 102 | 1 in 91 |
| New Hampshire | #20 | 38 | 1 in 77 |
| Maine | #21 | 70 | 1 in 88 |
| North Dakota | #21 | 64 | 1 in 87 |
| Vermont | #21 | 30 | 1 in 81 |
| Minnesota | #22 | 211 | 1 in 94 |
| Wisconsin | #22 | 234 | 1 in 97 |
| Indiana | #24 | 254 | 1 in 91 |
| Iowa | #24 | 198 | 1 in 94 |
| Washington | #25 | 89 | 1 in 106 |
| Oregon | #27 | 51 | 1 in 106 |
| Nebraska | #29 | 90 | 1 in 109 |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Helen
Momentum · girls
Holding steady
- 36 spots since 2024 (#425 → #461)
- 35 spots since 2020 (#426 → #461)
- 42 spots since 2015 (#419 → #461)
- Biggest jump: 31 spots in 2005 (#364 → #333)
- Biggest drop: 51 spots in 2003 (#341 → #392)
Rise & fade · girls
38 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1918 at #2 (36,148 births)
- Births halved by 1931, 13 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 10 for 45 yrs
- Top 10: 45 yrs · run 1891–1935
- Top 100: 79 yrs · run 1880–1958
- Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
Share of babies · girls
1 in 32
- Highest: 1 in 32 girls born in 1917 were named Helen (3.2%)
- Latest: 1 in 2,406 girls born in 2025 (0.04%)
- Its best rank, #2 in 1918, was only 1 in 32 (3.1%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · girls
The 1920s
- 28.4% of all girls named Helen (290,404) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 11,496 | #16 (1888) | #28 |
| 1890s | 37,802 | #3 (1898) | #6 |
| 1900s | 69,428 | #2 (1909) | #2 |
| 1910s | 248,154 | #2 (1918) | #2 |
| 1920s | 290,404 | #3 (1920) | #4 |
| 1930s | 140,426 | #4 (1930) | #10 |
| 1940s | 90,742 | #18 (1940) | #32 |
| 1950s | 57,580 | #50 (1950) | #78 |
| 1960s | 29,099 | #117 (1960) | #141 |
| 1970s | 11,476 | #191 (1970) | #233 |
| 1980s | 8,413 | #272 (1980) | #292 |
| 1990s | 8,403 | #307 (1993) | #330 |
| 2000s | 8,847 | #333 (2005) | #357 |
| 2010s | 7,585 | #403 (2014) | #417 |
| 2020s | 4,347 | #395 (2023) | #429 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Helen in 1936
girls
#11
12,234 births · 1 in 85 girls
boys
#844
52 births · 1 in 19,946 boys
Top girls' names in 1936
Top boys' names in 1936
More about 1936
girls
1,040,390 girls got a published name in 1936; 1 in 85 of them was named Helen, which outranked 99.8% of the 4,856 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 24.2% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Ranked beside Helen
Biggest movers since 1935
Risers
Fallers
- ↓ 1,028Norita#713 → #1,741
- ↓ 506Vernetta#974 → #1,480
- ↓ 461Ozella#984 → #1,445
- ↓ 400Shirleyann#896 → #1,296
- ↓ 342Idell#925 → #1,267
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,037,205 boys got a published name in 1936; 1 in 19,946 of them was named Helen, which outranked 79.1% of the 4,037 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.3% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).