Helen (given name)

For other uses, see Helen (disambiguation)
Helen

Eastern Orthodox icon of Saint Constantine the Great and Saint Helena, his mother.
Gender Female
Origin
Word/Name Greek
Meaning "light or bright"
Other names
Nickname(s) Len, Lena, Leny, Lenie, Lennie
Related names Elen, Elene, Ellen, Elena, Helena, Helene
Popularity see popular names

Helen is a feminine given name derived from the Greek Ἑλένη Helene, meaning "torch" or "corposant."[1] Another possible derivation is the Greek σελήνη or Selene, meaning "moon."[2] 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.[3]

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.

Contents

Name variants

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

People with the given name Helen

See also

Notes

  1. ^ http://www.behindthename.com/name/helen and http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Helen
  2. ^ Behind the Name
  3. ^ Behind the Name