Is Helen too old fashioned?

[lavenderfields]

Not heard any Helen's for about 20 years! Is it suitable for a baby or do you think everyone would think I was from the dark ages!

withacherry so my name is ugly f-ing cheek you have and its helen not ellen BTW there is a difference.

there was loads in my year at school, but i don't know of any babies called that

its ancient greek and means light/shining.

Well I like Helen..but then I would.
I think it's a 'classic' name, think Helen of Troy

"What were all the world's alarms
to mightly Paris, when he found
sleep upon a golden bed
that first dawn in Helen's arms"
Is that Yeats? Can't remember.

This is a baby name thread.I am allowed to state my opinion,MrsBucket If I don't like a name I'll say so. As does just about everyone else on the Babyname forum.

Also I can't imagine caring if someone liked my name or not so long as I'm happy with it,and plenty of people don't like mine,but I don't have a hissy fit,or weep and wail when they say they think it's horrid. It's not a personal insult.They just don't like my name. It's a non issue imho.

And I am aware that the name is Helen,not Ellen.What I'm referrring to is that I don't particuarly like an 'el' sound in the beginning of a name e.g Ellie,Ella,Helena,Elliot etc.

Blue Peter's Helen Skelton has probably put the name back on the radar, IYSWIM.

It's a good classic name.

I really like it.

And I know quite a few Helen's, all are really lovely.

Another Helen here...

I used to think it was really old fashioned too and I never knew another Helen my age till I went to college (I'm 22 now)

I quite like it now, it's grown on me and I think I'd be fed up if I had a name that everyone had, it's a lovely name!

I love Helen.

It's a bit out of fashion at the minute, but it's one of those classic names that's been around for centuries.

I think it will come back into fashion now.

I think it's pretty, it's my grandmother's name. :)

Helen is nice. I like it's simplicity and friendliness. I know one about 50, and one about 20 now. None in between, and no babies.

Love the name Helen. Helena was on my list if DC3 had been a DD. It is really elegant and classic, and very underused.

lovely name and also like helena, helen is a beautiful,gentle name as are catherine and lucy in my mind!

I really really love Helena - nn Nell. .

Helen is classic and lovely. Never met a Helen that wasn't utterly marvellous either!

It's nice - like other people, I've never meta bad one, which helps. Friend has a little Ellen, which seemed similarly slightly retro, but is now just her DD's name. Happens with pretty much all names once they're attached to an actual child!

I love this thread.

Helen is a lovely, classic name. It will work for an adult as well as a small child.

All the Helens I know (er, three, 2 friends and an aunt) get called 'H' as a nickname.

Lovely. Would be utterly charmed to meet a baby Helen. Stronger than Helena somehow, and more classic, though both are nice.

Yes

I know quite a few Greek Helens, although I have to say I prefer the Greek form (Eleni) It's a nice classic name

We mulled over this at the beginning of the pregnancy (due any day now), our preference being Helena. I can't remember why we disregarded it, I think I wasn't sure whether it was 'special' enough, however I'm sure if we have a dd this time round we'll consider it. It's certainly classic and beautiful... oooh I'm warming to it all over again now!!