Helena- anything similar?

[Snowberry86]

Anyone got any sibling names for Helena?

What do people think of Helena and can anyone suggest any alternatives? I like it, but not sure I love it.

Other names I like (but don't love) are:

Clara
Philippa
Bridget
Louisa
Claudia

[Haahoooo]

Josephine
Vivienne

[BikeRunSki]

Nell is a nn for Helen, Eleanor and their variants.

[Mamiof3]

Leonor or Leonora (Lenny), Ophelia, Olivia, Odette, Frances/Francesca, Anais, Cara, Lucia, Isabella, Susannah, Genevieve, Valentina, Juliana, Cecelia, Serena, Elsa, Anabella, Magdalena or Lena, Alexandra

[Walkingonsunshine00]

Lucy
Ruth
Grace
Megan

[LavenderRain]

Heleen

Ella

Eleanor

Harriet

[matchingmoll]

Susannah

[Roseformeplease]

Hermia (another character from A Midsummer Night's Dream)

Or, other Shakespearian women (not the ones who meet a sticky end)

Viola
Rosalind
Perdita
Celia
Isabella (although she has a bit of trouble and ends with a, possibly, forced marriage when she wanted to be a nun)

[WesleySnipes]

Marianne is pretty. Abigail also 'matches' with Helena in my head.

[HootOnTheBeach]

Natalie

[themumfairy]

helania
pronounced h-lay-na

[Marisola]

Andrea

[OneFlewOverTheMumsNest]

DD2 due imminently. We love Helena and pretty sure that's what we will go for - just waiting for her to appear before making final decision. This is the rest of my list:

Annie
Cora
Harriet
Helena
Iris
Maggie
Martha
Meg(an)
Meredith
Nancy
Norah
Polly
Violet

[WhiteHairReally]

DS would have been Helena Maud but it didn't really suit him. I think these have all been mentioned, but I'll group them here anyway, as names that I think have the same 'feel' as Helena and as a fellow teacher, I haven't come across in the classroom recently/at all.
Celia
Frances
Stella
Ursula
Romola

I'd call a daughter Maud these days. Maudie is lovely.

[villainousbroodmare]

Alicia
Georgia
Vivienne
Miriam
Rosalind

[KipperTheFish]

Martha

[Heyho111]

Clara, Ariana , Laura, Emma.

[akorda]

IMO Names that are reminiscent of Helena are:

Hester
Penelope
Felicity
Susanna
Eliza
Viola (love this!)
Miranda (this too!)
Rosamund

[Chips1999]

I would actually go with the name Helena, my midwife was called Helena and she was absolutely lovely, so lovely I considered using the name but dh vetoed it!

[Toadsrevisited]

Katherine
lucinda
Felicity
catriona
florence

[switchitoff]

Love Helena.

Other names I think of as "strong..not too old-fashioned" are:

Zoe
Imogen
Monica
Miranda
Lydia
Esther
Erin
Xanthe
Elizabeth / Beth
Megan / Meg
Talia / Thalia / Natalia
Katrina