Total births
40,412
Girls' name · since 1880
Helena
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 40,412 babies named Helena, peaking in 2025. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #414
- among girls today
- 40,412
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Helena is the #414 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 40,412 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Helena has been recorded 40,412 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #414 nationally and more common than 98% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. 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.
- #414 among girls today
- 40,412 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 98% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Helena is currently the #414 girls' name in America, more common than 98% of girls - 40,412 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #414
- among girls today
- 40,412
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Helena vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#414
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 98% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Helena was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
841 babies were named Helena in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Helena compares
40,412 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Helena's all-time total is 106x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Helena | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 40,412 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 841 | 48 | 19,840 |
Helena's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Helena's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 64% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 36%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1880, with only 60 births recorded -- set against the 2025 peak of 841, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Helena at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2025
Current rank
#414
Active since
1880
Helena popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 841
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Helena by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Helena's strongest decade.
5,882 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Helena births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 775
1880s
775 births
- 1890s 1,147
1890s
1,147 births
- 1900s 1,197
1900s
1,197 births
- 1910s
1910s
3,339 births
- 1920s
1920s
3,307 births
- 1930s 2,035
1930s
2,035 births
- 1940s 2,066
1940s
2,066 births
- 1950s 2,273
1950s
2,273 births
- 1960s 2,342
1960s
2,342 births
- 1970s 2,018
1970s
2,018 births
- 1980s 2,014
1980s
2,014 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,859 births
- 2000s
2000s
5,013 births
- 2010s
2010s
5,882 births
- 2020s
2020s
4,145 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 5,882 births (15% of all-time use).
How Helena 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 Helena's total volume
Helena vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Helena by state
Where Helena concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 3,992 | 9.9% |
| #2 | California | | 3,895 | 9.6% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 2,553 | 6.3% |
| #4 | Texas | | 2,348 | 5.8% |
| #5 | Massachusetts | | 1,986 | 4.9% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 1,503 | 3.7% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 1,500 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Florida | | 1,379 | 3.4% |
New York share of Helena's total US births 9.9%
Even split
3,992 of 40,412 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 49 reporting states.
Helena appears in 49 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Helena? ▼
Helena has been given to 40,412 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #414 as of the latest data. 841 babies were born in 2025, its single highest year.
When was Helena most popular? ▼
Helena was most popular in the 2010s decade with 5,882 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Helena most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Helena are New York (3,992 births), California (3,895 births), Pennsylvania (2,553 births).
How long has the name Helena been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Helena since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Helena? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Helen, Helene, Hellen, Helga, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Helena's data
- Helena's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (5,882 total births) through the 2020s (4,145) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Helenas (3,992 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Helena
Nearby Names Like Helena
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Helena
Helen Girl
#425 1,024,202 births
Helene Girl
#3759 33,334 births
Hellen Girl
#1637 8,353 births
Helga Girl
2,209 births
Helaine Girl
1,794 births
Compare Helena side by side: Helena vs Helen Helena vs Helene Helena vs Hellen
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Helena
Mariah #413
115,096 births · Peak 1996
Wynter #415
10,728 births · Peak 2021
Mallory #412
59,044 births · Peak 1986
Alayah #416
12,228 births · Peak 2020
Lilliana #411
22,826 births · Peak 2013
Carmen #417
142,795 births · Peak 1960
Matilda #410
37,270 births · Peak 2025
Liana #418
20,666 births · Peak 2025
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. "Helena: #414 Girls' Name - 40,412 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/helena. 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 Helena 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.