Name
Helena
Meaning
Helena is a feminine name of Greek origin meaning “torch, shining light”.
Helena is the Latinate form of Helen, most often traced to the Greek helene, a torch or corposant, though the face that launched a thousand ships predates certain etymology. Saint Helena, mother of Constantine, spread the name across Europe, and actress Helena Bonham Carter keeps it elegantly current.
Holds a place in the US girls' top 500, with the stress varying by family.
Popularity in the United States
Girls
Ranked #363 in 2025 · peak #363 in 2025
Data: US Social Security Administration, top-1000 ranks.
At a glance
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Feminine
- Pronounced
- /heh-LAY-nah/
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Questions
Helena is a feminine name of Greek origin meaning “torch, shining light”. Helena is the Latinate form of Helen, most often traced to the Greek helene, a torch or corposant, though the face that launched a thousand ships predates certain etymology.
Helena is traditionally a feminine (girl) name. Holds a place in the US girls' top 500, with the stress varying by family.
The name Helena comes from Greek. Helena is the Latinate form of Helen, most often traced to the Greek helene, a torch or corposant, though the face that launched a thousand ships predates certain etymology. Saint Helena, mother of Constantine, spread the name across Europe, and actress Helena Bonham Carter keeps it elegantly current.
Helena is pronounced heh-LAY-nah.
More names that mean light
Names that share this meaning.