H
Feminine
French
Meaning & History
Hélène is the French form of Helen. Ultimately derived from the Greek name Helene, its meaning is uncertain—it may be related to the Greek word helene meaning “torch” or “corposant,” or possibly to selene (selene), the Greek word for “moon.” In Greek mythology, Helen (of Troy) was the daughter of Zeus and Leda; her abduction by Paris sparked the Trojan War. The name was also borne by Saint Helena, the 4th-century mother of Emperor Constantine, who is credited with finding the True Cross. It is this saintly association that led to the name's adoption among early Christians, as opposed to its classical counterpart.
Notable Bearers
Throughout history, many royals have borne the name. Duchess Helene of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1814–1858) became Duchess of Orléans. Princess Hélène of Orléans (1871–1951) was Duchess of Aosta. Hélène Ahrweiler (1926–2026) was a renowned Greek Byzantinologist. Hélène Alarie (1941–2023) was a Canadian politician. In the arts, French actress Hélène Survad, and Hélène Adant, a Russian-born French philosopher, are notable.Variants and Diminutives
Related French variants include Éléna. Diminutives such as Léna and Leyna are also used. In other languages, the name appears as Helena (Swedish), Helene (Swedish), Elen (Welsh), Heghine (Armenian), Lena (Ukrainian), and Elaine (English).- Meaning: Torch, corposant, or possibly moon
- Origin: Greek, via French
- Type: First name
- Usage: French
Related Names
Variants
Other Languages & Cultures
(Swedish)
Helena, Helene (Welsh)
Elen (Armenian)
Heghine (Ukrainian)
Lena (English)
Elaine (Sardinian)
Elene (Belarusian)
Alena 2 (Spanish)
Elena (Slovene)
Jelena, Ela 1 (Slovak)
Jela (Serbian)
Jelica (Slovene)
Jelka (Polish)
Ilona (Slovene)
Alena 1 (Polish)
Helenka (Hungarian)
Ilonka (Slovak)
Lenka (Welsh)
Elin (Swedish)
Ellen 1, Helen (Norwegian)
Eli 3, Eline (Swedish)
Ella 2, Elna (German)
Hella (Norwegian)
Helle 1, Lene (Dutch)
Heleen, Heleentje (English)
Elaina, Elle, Ellena, Ellie, Elly, Hellen, Lainey, Laney, Nell, Nelle (Swedish)
Nellie, Nelly, Elina (Finnish)
Heli 2, Leena, Eliina, Elli 2, Heleena (Ukrainian)
Nelli (Hungarian)
Ilka (German)
Leni (Greek)
Eleni (Hungarian)
Heléna, Ili, Ilike, Léna (Icelandic)
Elín (Irish)
Léan (Spanish)
Ileana (Latvian)
Elīna, Helēna, Jeļena, Elēna, Ina, Liene, Līna, Nellija (Romanian)
Ilinca, Lenuța (Russian)
Yelena (Ukrainian)
Aliona, Alyona (Russian)
Alyonka (Ukrainian)
Nelya (Slovene)
Alenka (Swedish)
Helén (Ukrainian)
Olena
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User Submissions
Sources: Wikipedia — Helene (name)