Helen

[Confused1977]

I've always thought this is a beautiful, sophisticated and feminine name. I would use Ellie or Nelly as a nickname. My partner hates it....says its grannyish and dull. I really want to keep this name on our list for our little girl. Opinions please....!

[JuniorAsparagus]

I have a Helen, named after her great grandmother.
It was extremely popular in the 1970s, but that doesn't mean it should die out.
It means light, shining one, bright.

[BobIsNotYourUncle]

Alaina?

[ijustdontunderstandher]

I think Helena is beautiful

[MikeUniformMike]

I really like it and much prefer it to Ellen. I like Helena too.

[PinkieTuscadero]

It's okay although not a name I'd ever choose. But if your partner hates it there's no point asking our opinion!

[Antonin]

My DD is a Helen. I had friends of various ages called that and they were strong lovely women. I like that the meaning is “light”. My Helen has grown into a strong minded empathetic young woman who is the person her friends go to for advice. She has no complaints about her name. Like most classic names it never goes out of favour entirely yet is not too common.

[Confused1977]

oh... Laina is a nice name. I used to babysit a little girl called Laina when I was a teenager. I really like it. Suited her as a baby an also as a young adult.

[Bumblebeesmum]

It’s ok but to me Helen & Mary sound like Anne, Lisa, Susan, Deborah etc so I guess it depends if you mind. She’d very likely never be in a class with another but there’s a good chance it would be considered an old lady name by the time she’s in her 20s.

Perhaps Eleanor, Helena, Elaina or Elana?

[GRW]

I have a Helen who loves her name and has never had another one in her school year. It would be an unusual yet classic choice for a baby. I like Helena too but pronounced Helen a rather than Helayna.

[WeepingWillowWeepingWino]

She may have been the face that launched a thousand ships but I think it’s a pretty boring name rooted in the 70s myself.

[bananasandwicheseveryday]

I really like Helen. I don't think it sounds as all 'grannyish', to me, names from my grandparents generation are the old fashioned names and yet they are very popular right now. So I don't think Helen would stand out as more grannyish than, for example, Lily, Eliza, Rose, Grace and so on, which all seem perfectly acceptable now.

[ZebraKid71]

It is one of the only names that I actually find boring.

I have a step-neice named Helen who is 12 and nicknamed herself Lenny as she hates her name, and doesn't like Nel.

For some reason Helena or Ellen seem much better options to me.

[IdaBWells]

My parents considered called me Helen after my granny (Josephine Helen) but I have to say I'm relieved they didn't.

[Trinnidad]

My mum, my half-sister, and one of my cousins are called Helen (all by co-incidence). I also had two friends at school called Helen. Never thought it granny-ish. Used to be very common in Scotland.

I find Helena a bit try-hard, attempting to sound more exotic or well-to-do (and also confusing, I have known a He-len-a, a He-lee-na and a He-lay-na - each got very annoyed when you used the wrong pronunciation).

Helens have no such problem.

[Slightlyjaded]

I love Helen

Elegant, timeless and international.

[Sparkly124]

Helen is beautiful - classic and feminine.

But I wouldn't shorten it to Ellie, there are far too many...

[mummyzombie]

Love it!

[ScreamingValenta]

Helen is a lovely name; also Helena.

[ThanksItHasPockets]

Elinor?

[aliceandkids77]

v classy but a bit boring imo. How about Helena, Elena, Lennon, Eleanor, these are all modernised versions of Helen you may like x

[HunterHearstHelmsley]

I'm a Helen. I had someone once say that they thought I would be older.

I like my name. Always have. I tend to be 'Hel' rather than Nel etc. Another Helen I know hates Hel so its personal preference really.

I don't like Ellen or Helena.

[DharmaInitiativeLady]

I have a Helen, it's a beautiful name and you won't regret it 🙂

[Rando42]

I’m early 30s and my name is Helen. I’m sure people wouldn’t say it to my face, but I’ve never heard anyone comment that it was grannyish. I was the only one in my school, and I quite liked having a name that while not unusual or weird for my age group, was uncommon enough that I didn’t share a name with anyone I knew. I don’t think it’d sound weird as a baby name.

I don’t like your nicknames though. Ellie isn’t really a usual nickname for Helen, and goes better with Ellen or Ellenor/Eleanor/Elena. I was called Nelly by family when I was very young, until cousins started with the Nelly the Elephant jokes. I was mortified when one of my school friends overheard that and repeated it, and soon ask that family not use it anymore. I was a chubby kid, but even if I wasn’t, no girl wants to be Nelly the elephant.

[Cryalot2]

Slightly bias on this one.
This is one of my adult daughters names, also another younger family member called it.
I in our case it was my partners choice and daughter likes her names, much prefers them to what I had chosen.
Hope this helps

[helenisafabname]

I'm a 40 something Helen ! Was one of several at my school, v popular with 70's kids along with Claire, Tracey, Joanne etc.