Helena and Lilias

[Hadtocomment]

I was stumping round the local graveyard as you do and noticing how a lot of the names (mostly named end of nineteenth century) were very much back in fashion right now including many Elizas and Isabellas. Although also quite a number of Euphemias and most popular was Margaret which is still not back even though it's one of the most popular girls names in the UK of all time. But I also came across quite a few Helen's and Helena's and also a Lilias. I realised how no-one seems to be using Helen and Helena now despite being rather nice classic names. And Lilias is never mentioned despite being a lily name. I quite like it and like the fact it sounds like one word and isn't really frilly. But it's never mentioned. Do you think these names will come back round?

I have a 6 year old called Helena. Nicknamed Nell. We always get lots of positive comments and it comes up a lot on this board when people are asking for classic names.

My DD's second name is Helena, after my nan. And in my DD's class there is Eliza and Isabella.

I know a toddler Lilias. I liked it for my DD but DH said it sounded like lily-ass and vetoed it.

I think Lilias was Scottish, not much used now though. It’s a lovely name.

My best friends daughter is called Lilia which I think is beautiful.

I like both. I’ve definitely mentioned Lilias on here before. It’s a nice Scottish variant of Lily, stronger because it doesn’t end in -ee or an -a sound, and more unusual. Helena gets mentioned quite a bit too. Helen is lovely, a simpler form that will be coming back into style now.

Thanks for thoughts. I'm in Scotland so that makes sense. I really like Lilias but the lillyass thing I can see might be a problem altho no-one worries about names like Elias which are fashionable. It's rare to get ias as a girls ending. Are there more you can think of? Nice to hear Helena is more used than I thought. It feels like the style of the moment is to have more a on the endings then the plain endings. Or ie endings. Helen and Ellen don't seem so popular now. Ellena and Eleanor more so? So maybe Helena is more the style than Helen?

Helena is one of my all-time favourites but we were put off by pronunciation difficulties. I only like the Helen-ah pronunciation. Not helAYna or helEEna.

I think names like Helena or other names with -a on the end are actually going out of fashion now, no matter how lovely. The fancier Continental or Victorian names have been around for a couple of decades now. They have already been replaced by the simpler names of the early 20th century, at least where I am. So Helen, Jean, Ellen, etc are back.

Helena is quite popular where I am. Margaret is slowly coming back I’d say - I only know one little Margaret, but loads of Margots and a couple of Marguerites.

I don’t think Helena will ever be as popular as Eleanor because of the pronunciation issue. Helen not back yet no, but it’s time will come in a decade or two.

Lilias - it’s the ass sound at the end that will prevent that I think!

We have a 6 month old Yelena (Eastern European variant of Helen). Obviously biased but i like it!

Mid century names are coming back, but they include lots of ah endings (Lena, Diana, Patricia, Pamela, Sarah, Stella, Nora (God why are people using Nora..) Alma, Alva, Alba)

I do think very frilly names are on the decline, but Internationally friendly ’ girls’ names often end with an ah and they are on the up, and likely to remain so because of globalisation. I’ve noticed a crop of UK Marias recently, which is the world’s most popular Euro girls name apparently, and I also notice Anna, Alexandra, Serena, Julia, Stella, Helena, Marina appearing more, and Emma seems now to be a fixture, albeit not as popular as it once was.

Helena definitely. I also like Lily, but not Lilias.

I like Helena though the multiple pronunciations thing makes me hesitate. I knew a Helena at uni and I notice the lecturers would always pronounce her name different ways at roll call.

Helen seems a bit too midcentury to me to make a comeback anytime soon. Margaret is similar in that there are lots of older women around who have that name. I don't see it being revived for a while, though I like the meaning/symbolism of the name (Saint Margaret and the Dragon).

I think Lilias is nice and interesting, though easily misheard as Lillian.

I like Both Helen and Helena, I don't know any little ones though. Just two Helens (one early 30s and one early 40s) and dds keyworker at nursery was Helena a few years ago.

Not as fan of the as sound at the end of Lilias

I never heard of Lilias, I think I prefer Lilia. It’s a very beautiful feminine name. I went to school with a Helen and have never met another one. If someone is on the lookout for uncommon but not crazy names I think these are good options.

My ds2 would have been Helena (pronounced Helen-a) if a girl. I've a few contemporaries called Helen - it's a lovely and classic name (cf. Cousin Helen in What Katy Did) but I think a lot of people consider it rather dated atm, like similarly classic but very much out-of-fashion names such as Sarah, Rebecca, Lucy and Rachel. It's a shame.

Lilias is really lovely. I like Lilian too and have been wondering why that isn't more popular.

Lilias isn’t pronounce Lili-ass, it’s more like Lilius.

Helena is one of my very favourite names. It's a classic. Also Laura.

Lilias I'm not keen on but personal taste.