Total births
1,024,202
Girls' name · since 1880
Helen
1,024,202 babies named Helen in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1918. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #425
- among girls today
- 1,024,202
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
1,024,202 babies have been named Helen since 1880, making it today's #425 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Helen has been recorded 1,024,202 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #425 nationally and more common than 98% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #425 among girls today
- 1,024,202 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 98% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Helen is currently the #425 girls' name in America, more common than 98% of girls - 1,024,202 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #425
- among girls today
- 1,024,202
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Helen vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#425
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 98% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Helen was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
36,148 babies were named Helen in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How Helen compares
1,024,202 Top 0% higher than 100% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Helen's all-time total is 2,681x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Helen | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,024,202 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 36,148 | 48 | 19,840 |
Helen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Helen splits its recorded history at 1953: 11% of all births land in the more recent half, 89% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1881 (612 births) -- compare that against the 1918 peak of 36,148 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Helen at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1918
Current rank
#425
Active since
1880
Helen popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 36,148
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Helen popularity over time - boys
3,105 total births recorded since 1881 (Helen as boys' name)
Helen by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Helen's strongest decade.
290,404 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Helen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 11,496
1880s
11,496 births
- 1890s 37,802
1890s
37,802 births
- 1900s 69,428
1900s
69,428 births
- 1910s
1910s
248,154 births
- 1920s
1920s
290,404 births
- 1930s
1930s
140,426 births
- 1940s 90,742
1940s
90,742 births
- 1950s 57,580
1950s
57,580 births
- 1960s 29,099
1960s
29,099 births
- 1970s 11,476
1970s
11,476 births
- 1980s 8,413
1980s
8,413 births
- 1990s 8,403
1990s
8,403 births
- 2000s 8,847
2000s
8,847 births
- 2010s 7,585
2010s
7,585 births
- 2020s 4,347
2020s
4,347 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 290,404 births (28% of all-time use).
How Helen compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Helen's total volume
Helen vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Helen by state
Where Helen concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 102,510 | 10.0% |
| #2 | New York | | 93,572 | 9.1% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 52,520 | 5.1% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 51,109 | 5.0% |
| #5 | California | | 34,708 | 3.4% |
| #6 | Texas | | 34,368 | 3.4% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 34,147 | 3.3% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 33,584 | 3.3% |
Pennsylvania share of Helen's total US births 10.0%
Even split
102,510 of 1,024,202 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Helen appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Helen? ▼
1,024,202 babies have been named Helen since 1880. It currently ranks #425 among girls. The peak year was 1918 with 36,148 births.
When was Helen most popular? ▼
Helen was most popular in the 1920s decade with 290,404 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Helen most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Helen are Pennsylvania (102,510 births), New York (93,572 births), Illinois (52,520 births).
How long has the name Helen been used? ▼
Records for Helen go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Helen? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Helena, Helene, Hellen, Helga, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Helen's data
- Helen's decade-level peak was the 1920s (290,404 total births); usage has since declined to 4,347 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Helens (102,510 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Helen
Nearby Names Like Helen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Helen
Helena Girl
#414 40,412 births
Helene Girl
#3759 33,334 births
Hellen Girl
#1637 8,353 births
Helga Girl
2,209 births
Helaine Girl
1,794 births
Compare Helen side by side: Helen vs Helena Helen vs Helene Helen vs Hellen
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Helen
Gracelynn #424
13,268 births · Peak 2020
Alessandra #426
24,836 births · Peak 2015
Willa #423
32,824 births · Peak 2019
Emely #427
23,864 births · Peak 2008
Raelyn #422
15,768 births · Peak 2016
Arleth #428
6,840 births · Peak 2025
Madilyn #421
23,632 births · Peak 2008
Florence #429
339,093 births · Peak 1918
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Helen: #425 Girls' Name - 1,024,202 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/helen. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Helen draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.