Meaning not yet researched.
Helen: US girls given the name each year, 1880 to 2025, from Social Security card applications. 668 in 2025. Its best rank was #2 in 1919.
US births per year · SSA card applications
Peaked at #2 in 1919; #462 in 2025. Every baby recorded as Helen in 2025 was a girl.
Baby name · US data 1880–2025
#462 for US girls in 2025. Its best year was 1919, at #2.
Hover, tap or use the arrow keys for any year. Years with fewer than five babies of a sex are not published by SSA and show as zero.
Helen: US girls given the name each year from 1880 to 2025. 668 girls in 2025. Peak: #2 in 1919 · most girls in one year: 36,148 (1918).
In 2025, 668 US girls were named Helen, making it the 462nd most common girls’ name of the year, down 37 places from #425 in 2024. That is 60 fewer than the 728 girls named Helen in 2024. Its best rank for girls was #2, reached in 1919. The most girls given the name in a single year was 36,148, in 1918. For comparison, it was #419 in 2015 and #50 in 1950.
Social Security card records list Helen in every one of the 146 years from 1880 to 2025; in 1880 there were 636 babies with the name. In all, 1,027,307 US babies have been given the name, 99.6% of them girls and 0.3% boys. Its busiest decade was the 1920s, with 291,152 babies named Helen.
Over the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, 7,415 US girls were named Helen; the busiest of those years was 2016, with 816. In 2025 that was about 1 in 2,406 of the girls in SSA’s list for the year.
Among the states, Helen ranked highest in District of Columbia in 2025, at #80 for girls there. It was in the top 100 in 1 state (counting DC). Related spellings in the SSA files include Ellen (276,029 babies since 1880), Lena (146,805 babies since 1880), Elena (108,117 babies since 1880) and Helena (40,412 babies since 1880). Rarer spellings such as Olena, Helon and Hellon are summarised on this page. The open nickname list we use links it to Ella, Ellen, Ellie and Lena.
Meaning not yet researched.
We publish a meaning only with a cited source and a confidence label, and never generate one. Meanings are being researched for the most common names first.
Wikidata records this spelling as a given name in Dutch, English and Swedish. That is where the name is used, not necessarily where it comes from.
Rare spellings summarised here: Olena (920), Helon (671), Hellon (417), Lene (277), Helane (174), Heilyn (110), Helyne (108), Heylin (102), Lenka (82), Hylan (77), Jela (68), Helin (56), and more.
Numbers are all-time US births. Links come from Wikidata’s “said to be the same as” (P460, CC0) and our spelling rule: at most two letters different, with the same sound pattern.
US girls. Rank within each state. SSA leaves out states where fewer than five girls got the name, so 20 are not listed.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank 2025 | Rank 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 9 | #80 | — |
| Virginia | 40 | #205 | #290 |
| Maryland | 20 | #260 | #363 |
| South Carolina | 18 | #281 | #326 |
| Kansas | 11 | #299 | #376 |
| Massachusetts | 18 | #323 | #461 |
| Illinois | 29 | #358 | #448 |
| Tennessee | 22 | #368 | #472 |
| Kentucky | 12 | #374 | #440 |
| Washington | 19 | #374 | #474 |
| Alabama | 13 | #379 | #429 |
| Georgia | 29 | #391 | #473 |
| Minnesota | 13 | #408 | #393 |
| Oregon | 9 | #409 | #352 |
| Pennsylvania | 26 | #420 | #589 |
| Colorado | 13 | #439 | #460 |
| Florida | 42 | #448 | #406 |
| Missouri | 13 | #454 | #505 |
| New York | 38 | #456 | #348 |
| Nevada | 6 | #462 | #483 |
| Mississippi | 6 | #465 | — |
| Texas | 67 | #484 | #393 |
| California | 68 | #492 | #295 |
| North Carolina | 18 | #586 | #400 |
| Ohio | 17 | #604 | #716 |
| Louisiana | 7 | #638 | #503 |
| Utah | 6 | #648 | — |
| Indiana | 9 | #682 | #405 |
| New Jersey | 11 | #684 | #551 |
| Arizona | 7 | #851 | #806 |
| Michigan | 8 | #893 | #683 |
Births and national rank for each year SSA lists the name, newest first.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 668 | #462 | — | — |
| 2024 | 728 | #425 | — | — |
| 2023 | 777 | #395 | — | — |
| 2022 | 749 | #422 | — | — |
| 2021 | 704 | #444 | — | — |
| 2020 | 721 | #426 | — | — |
| 2019 | 743 | #429 | — | — |
| 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 | 5 | #12,004 |
| 2003 | 783 | #392 | — | — |
| 2002 | 875 | #341 | — | — |
| 2001 | 884 | #344 | — | — |
| 2000 | 891 | #345 | — | — |
| 1999 | 841 | #356 | — | — |
| 1998 | 832 | #349 | — | — |
| 1997 | 812 | #346 | — | — |
| 1996 | 900 | #312 | — | — |
| 1995 | 837 | #325 | — | — |
| 1994 | 849 | #321 | 5 | #9,351 |
| 1993 | 867 | #307 | 5 | #9,258 |
| 1992 | 828 | #326 | — | — |
| 1991 | 774 | #340 | 5 | #8,689 |
| 1990 | 863 | #317 | 7 | #6,702 |
| 1989 | 858 | #305 | 10 | #4,960 |
| 1988 | 774 | #321 | 7 | #6,022 |
| 1987 | 816 | #297 | — | — |
| 1986 | 766 | #312 | 6 | #6,233 |
| 1985 | 808 | #301 | 6 | #6,066 |
| 1984 | 858 | #281 | 7 | #5,181 |
| 1983 | 844 | #278 | — | — |
| 1982 | 876 | #279 | — | — |
| 1981 | 899 | #275 | — | — |
| 1980 | 914 | #272 | — | — |
| 1979 | 879 | #278 | 5 | #6,428 |
| 1978 | 925 | #255 | 5 | #6,169 |
| 1977 | 994 | #249 | 6 | #5,389 |
| 1976 | 943 | #250 | 9 | #3,836 |
| 1975 | 1,059 | #229 | 6 | #5,043 |
| 1974 | 1,140 | #225 | 7 | #4,340 |
| 1973 | 1,137 | #221 | — | — |
| 1972 | 1,241 | #225 | 9 | #3,451 |
| 1971 | 1,440 | #209 | 9 | #3,479 |
| 1970 | 1,718 | #191 | 9 | #3,373 |
| 1969 | 1,858 | #175 | 10 | #2,942 |
| 1968 | 1,884 | #173 | 12 | #2,494 |
| 1967 | 2,157 | #158 | 8 | #3,091 |
| 1966 | 2,447 | #144 | 5 | #4,186 |
| 1965 | 2,800 | #137 | 14 | #2,213 |
| 1964 | 3,100 | #132 | 9 | #2,942 |
| 1963 | 3,338 | #124 | 9 | #2,931 |
| 1962 | 3,586 | #128 | 16 | #2,075 |
| 1961 | 3,858 | #119 | 12 | #2,467 |
| 1960 | 4,071 | #117 | 10 | #2,757 |
| 1959 | 4,375 | #108 | 15 | #2,152 |
| 1958 | 4,772 | #100 | 20 | #1,796 |
| 1957 | 5,019 | #95 | 14 | #2,227 |
| 1956 | 5,278 | #90 | 17 | #1,970 |
| 1955 | 5,592 | #78 | 19 | #1,814 |
| 1954 | 5,947 | #72 | 14 | #2,152 |
| 1953 | 6,123 | #65 | 20 | #1,734 |
| 1952 | 6,464 | #63 | 17 | #1,894 |
| 1951 | 6,949 | #54 | 14 | #2,091 |
| 1950 | 7,061 | #50 | 19 | #1,717 |
| 1949 | 7,707 | #46 | 27 | #1,417 |
| 1948 | 8,301 | #40 | 22 | #1,579 |
| 1947 | 8,979 | #38 | 24 | #1,536 |
| 1946 | 8,852 | #36 | 33 | #1,224 |
| 1945 | 8,301 | #31 | 30 | #1,212 |
| 1944 | 8,696 | #31 | 36 | #1,115 |
| 1943 | 9,800 | #28 | 38 | #1,116 |
| 1942 | 10,016 | #26 | 37 | #1,127 |
| 1941 | 9,887 | #24 | 49 | #911 |
| 1940 | 10,203 | #18 | 38 | #1,054 |
| 1939 | 10,420 | #16 | 45 | #939 |
| 1938 | 10,837 | #13 | 65 | #759 |
| 1937 | 11,453 | #12 | 66 | #753 |
| 1936 | 12,234 | #11 | 52 | #848 |
| 1935 | 12,785 | #10 | 67 | #754 |
| 1934 | 14,100 | #9 | 49 | #904 |
| 1933 | 14,644 | #8 | 82 | #640 |
| 1932 | 16,376 | #8 | 89 | #639 |
| 1931 | 17,664 | #6 | 67 | #766 |
| 1930 | 19,913 | #4 | 83 | #687 |
| 1929 | 20,983 | #4 | 77 | #709 |
| 1928 | 22,937 | #4 | 88 | #672 |
| 1927 | 25,316 | #4 | 92 | #664 |
| 1926 | 26,886 | #4 | 74 | #746 |
| 1925 | 29,173 | #4 | 80 | #725 |
| 1924 | 31,194 | #3 | 79 | #749 |
| 1923 | 31,486 | #3 | 62 | #864 |
| 1922 | 32,510 | #3 | 67 | #835 |
| 1921 | 34,822 | #3 | 66 | #852 |
| 1920 | 35,097 | #3 | 63 | #856 |
| 1919 | 33,706 | #2 | 60 | #854 |
| 1918 | 36,148 | #2 | 80 | #706 |
| 1917 | 34,251 | #2 | 61 | #813 |
| 1916 | 32,661 | #2 | 83 | #643 |
| 1915 | 30,866 | #2 | 60 | #779 |
| 1914 | 23,221 | #2 | 54 | #707 |
| 1913 | 18,888 | #2 | 51 | #623 |
| 1912 | 16,133 | #2 | 38 | #696 |
| 1911 | 11,801 | #2 | 46 | #429 |
| 1910 | 10,479 | #2 | 30 | #517 |
| 1909 | 9,250 | #2 | 36 | #412 |
| 1908 | 8,439 | #2 | 30 | #442 |
| 1907 | 7,579 | #2 | 20 | #548 |
| 1906 | 7,176 | #2 | 26 | #433 |
| 1905 | 6,811 | #2 | 26 | #426 |
| 1904 | 6,488 | #2 | 15 | #597 |
| 1903 | 6,129 | #2 | 29 | #357 |
| 1902 | 5,967 | #2 | 30 | #361 |
| 1901 | 5,247 | #2 | 17 | #478 |
| 1900 | 6,342 | #2 | 18 | #591 |
| 1899 | 5,048 | #3 | 16 | #491 |
| 1898 | 5,230 | #3 | 17 | #513 |
| 1897 | 4,519 | #3 | 16 | #505 |
| 1896 | 4,392 | #3 | 10 | #749 |
| 1895 | 4,023 | #3 | 17 | #496 |
| 1894 | 3,676 | #4 | 8 | #817 |
| 1893 | 3,249 | #6 | 8 | #794 |
| 1892 | 2,936 | #9 | 7 | #900 |
| 1891 | 2,417 | #9 | 9 | #666 |
| 1890 | 2,312 | #12 | 7 | #844 |
| 1889 | 1,909 | #17 | 8 | #746 |
| 1888 | 1,847 | #16 | 5 | #1,101 |
| 1887 | 1,405 | #21 | — | — |
| 1886 | 1,267 | #25 | — | — |
| 1885 | 1,134 | #28 | 6 | #874 |
| 1884 | 986 | #33 | — | — |
| 1883 | 862 | #35 | 5 | #962 |
| 1882 | 838 | #31 | — | — |
| 1881 | 612 | #43 | 7 | #743 |
| 1880 | 636 | #35 | — | — |
About the data: counts are Social Security card applications for US births, for names given to at least five babies of a sex in a year (SSA, names.zip, public domain). Ranks follow SSA’s own order: most births first, ties alphabetical. Files retrieved 2026-10-05 (checksum on our sources page).