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

Helle, 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 Helle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Helle in America

Helle is the 15579th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Helle surname appeared 1,877 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Helle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Helle 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 Helle

The surname HELLE has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "helle," meaning "bright" or "shining." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname or an occupational name for someone who worked with light or fire, such as a candle maker or a blacksmith.

The earliest recorded instances of the name HELLE can be found in various German records from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable mention is in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, where a landowner named Hermann Helle is referenced in a document dated 1287.

In the 15th century, the name HELLE appeared in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Württemberg, and Westphalia. During this period, the name was often associated with specific locations, such as Helleberg, a village in Saxony, or Hellental, a valley in the Black Forest region.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name HELLE was Johann Helle, a German theologian and reformer who lived from 1499 to 1560. He played a significant role in the Reformation movement and was a close associate of Martin Luther.

Another notable figure with the surname HELLE was Heinrich Helle, a German painter born in 1644 in Augsburg. He was known for his religious paintings and worked extensively in churches and monasteries throughout southern Germany.

In the 18th century, a German composer named Johann Helle (1734-1801) gained recognition for his contributions to sacred music. He served as a court musician and organist in various cities, including Dresden and Leipzig.

During the 19th century, the HELLE surname spread beyond Germany to other parts of Europe and the Americas through immigration. One notable individual from this period was Auguste Helle (1828-1891), a French architect who designed several prominent buildings in Paris, including the Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille.

Another significant figure was Wilhelm Helle (1859-1923), a German astronomer and pioneer in the field of astrophotography. He made significant contributions to the study of Mars and was one of the first to capture detailed photographs of the planet's surface.

While these are just a few examples, the surname HELLE has a rich history that spans several centuries and various regions, primarily originating from its German roots and connections to occupations and locations related to light and brightness.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Helle

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

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 Helle 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 Helle 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 Helle was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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