Helia
Of Greek origin, meaning "sun ray" or "sunshine".
Name Census estimates that about 146 living Americans carry the first name Helia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Helia today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Helia births was 2024 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Helia. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
146
~ 1 in 2,347,632 Americans
Peak year
2024
18 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,461
Tracked since 1898
Popularity
Helia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Helia from the 1890s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 63 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Helia by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Helia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Helia
The name Helia has its roots in ancient Greek culture, dating back to the 5th century BC. It is derived from the Greek word "helios," meaning "sun." This name was often associated with the sun god Helios, who was revered in Greek mythology as the personification of the sun itself.
In ancient Greek texts, such as the works of Homer and Hesiod, the name Helia is mentioned in connection with various mythological figures and deities related to the sun. For instance, Helia was one of the Heliades, the daughters of Helios and the nymph Clymene, who were turned into poplar trees after mourning their brother's death.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Helia can be found in the writings of the Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century BC. He mentioned a woman named Helia who was the wife of the Spartan king Pausanias.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Helia. One of the most famous was Helia Eudocia (401-460 AD), a Byzantine empress who was known for her literary accomplishments and her patronage of the arts and sciences.
Another prominent figure was Helia Doxapatres (c. 1022-1098), a Byzantine noblewoman and writer who authored several works on religious and philosophical subjects.
In the realm of science, Helia Bravo Hollis (1901-2001) was a Mexican astronomer and pioneer in the field of astrophysics. She made significant contributions to the study of variable stars and was the first woman to be appointed as a researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
Helia Corrigan (1883-1976) was an American suffragist and women's rights activist who played a crucial role in the fight for women's suffrage in the United States during the early 20th century.
In more recent times, Helia Bravo Martínez (born 1936) is a notable Mexican author and playwright, known for her works that explore themes of identity, gender, and social issues.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the name Helia, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of human culture and accomplishments.
People
Helia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Helia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Helia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Helia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 146 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Helia going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,347,632 US residents.
Is Helia a common name?
We classify Helia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 69.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 194 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Helia most popular?
The single biggest year for Helia was 2024, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Helia is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Helia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Helia in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.