Total births
2,209
Girls' name · since 1882
Helga
Helga has 2,209 recorded births since 1882 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1961 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 2,209
- total births
- 1882–2020
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 15%
- born in that decade
Helga is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 2,209 have been recorded since 1882.
Helga has 2,209 recorded births among girls since 1882, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1960s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 2020.
- 2,209 total births
- 1882–2020 years on record
- 1960s peak decade
- 15% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
2,209 girls have been named Helga since 1882, peaking in the 1960s, last recorded in 2020.
- 2,209
- total births
- 1882–2020
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 15%
- born in that decade
1960s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Helga was born in this single decade.
1961
Single peak year
54 babies were named Helga in 1961 - its busiest year on record.
Helga's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Helga's full recorded timeline at 1935, 50% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 50% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1882, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1961 peak of 54 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Helga at a glance
Last recorded 2020Peak year
1961
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1882
Helga popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2020
- Peak year (1961)
- 54
- Annual births at peak, across 139 years of records
Helga by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Helga's strongest decade.
338 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Helga births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 71
1880s
71 births
- 1890s
1890s
217 births
- 1900s
1900s
167 births
- 1910s
1910s
324 births
- 1920s
1920s
231 births
- 1930s
1930s
222 births
- 1940s
1940s
145 births
- 1950s
1950s
282 births
- 1960s
1960s
338 births
- 1970s
1970s
162 births
- 1980s 29
1980s
29 births
- 1990s 16
1990s
16 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 338 births (15% of all-time use).
How Helga 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 Helga's total volume
Helga vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Helga by state
Where Helga concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 253 | 11.5% |
| #2 | Minnesota | | 45 | 2.0% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 39 | 1.8% |
| #4 | California | | 36 | 1.6% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 27 | 1.2% |
| #6 | North Dakota | | 21 | 1.0% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 18 | 0.8% |
| #8 | Iowa | | 10 | 0.5% |
New York share of Helga's total US births 11.5%
Even split
253 of 2,209 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 10 reporting states.
Helga appears in 10 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Helga? ▼
Since 1882, Social Security records show 2,209 babies named Helga. The most recent recorded year was 2020. Its busiest year on record was 1961, with 54 births.
When was Helga most popular? ▼
Helga was most popular in the 1960s decade with 338 total births. The single peak year was 1961.
Where is Helga most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Helga are New York (253 births), Minnesota (45 births), Illinois (39 births).
How long has the name Helga been used? ▼
Records for Helga go back to 1882, giving 139 years of history through 2020.
What names are similar to Helga? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Helen, Helena, Helene, Hellen, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Helga's data
- Helga's decade-level peak was the 1960s (338 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Helgas (253 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 Helga
Nearby Names Like Helga
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Helga
Helen Girl
#425 1,024,202 births
Helena Girl
#414 40,412 births
Helene Girl
#3759 33,334 births
Hellen Girl
#1637 8,353 births
Helaine Girl
1,794 births
Compare Helga side by side: Helga vs Helen Helga vs Helena Helga vs Helene
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1882–2020 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Helga: Baby Name Since 1882 - 2,209 Births, Peak 1961." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/helga. 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 Helga 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.