Find out how popular the last name Helen is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Helen.

Helen, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Helen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Helen in America

Helen is the 73215th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Helen surname appeared 265 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Helen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Helen to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Helen

Helen is an English surname derived from the given name Helen, which originated from the Greek name Helene. The name Helene is believed to have been derived from the Greek word 'helene,' meaning "bright" or "shining one."

The surname Helen likely emerged in England during the medieval period, as the given name Helen gained popularity after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. The Normans brought with them a reverence for Greek culture and literature, which contributed to the widespread use of the name Helen.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Helen can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a William Helen residing in Oxfordshire. This suggests that the surname was already in use by the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname Helen appeared in various historical records, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, which mentions a Thomas Helen. The Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1391 also reference a John Helen.

During the Renaissance period, the surname Helen was associated with several notable individuals, such as Sir John Helen (c. 1490-1568), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another famous bearer of the surname was Robert Helen (1564-1625), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Rector of Teddington in Middlesex. He is best known for his work "A Manuall of Praiers," published in 1592.

In the 17th century, the surname Helen was found in various parts of England, including the village of Helston in Cornwall, which was formerly known as Hen-Helen. This suggests a possible connection between the surname and place names derived from the same root.

One of the most prominent figures with the surname Helen was Sir Thomas Helen (1610-1678), an English lawyer and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1635. He played a significant role in the City's defense during the English Civil War.

Another notable individual was William Helen (1701-1772), an English mathematician and astronomer who made important contributions to the study of lunar theory and the calculation of eclipses.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname Helen continued to appear in various records and was borne by several notable individuals, such as the British naval officer Sir John Helen (1753-1837), who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Helen

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Helen.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Helen was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Helen has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Helen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Helen, please contact us.

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