Comments
Meaning
Usage
Pronunciation
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Other
My name is Helena (huh-lean-uh) and I was named after my great-grandmother Helen. Honestly, I have always hated my name since I was a small girl (Asked my mother to get my name legally changed when I was six, true story!) because it seems no matter how many times I repeat myself nobody can remember the pronunciation. It's really insulting and disheartening especially when you known people for years and they still say it incorrectly despite constant corrections. If you name your child this prepare yourself for the hassle of wrong pronunciations all the time.
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Helena Heinesen Rebensdorff, better known as Brimheim, is a Faroese-Danish singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of Faroese journalist and musician Elin Brimheim Heinesen.
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Last year (2023), the name Helena was #22 in the ranking of the most popular baby girl names in Poland, with 2511 girls having been given this name. It was the 6th most popular middle name, with 1128 baby girls who were given Helena as their middle. As of January this year, Helena is the 43rd most common female name in the Polish population, with 163805 bearers. As a middle name, Helena is the 16th most common middle name for women in Poland, with 156076 bearers.
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I pronounce Helena in the same manner as Helena Bonham Carter's name is pronounced.
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My name is Helena, and I think the name itself is pretty, light, and elegant, and I DO like it... but it's NEVER pronounced the way I pronounce it (hel-in-uh, like Helen with an A). But everyone says it differently: "huh-lay-nuh", "huh-leen-uh", "huh-leh-nuh", "uh-lay-nuh", etc. Substitute teachers taking attendance is my worst nightmare because I have to respond to 12 different pronunciations of my name. Correcting people is EXHAUSTING and it doesn't really have any nicknames.
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I always thought I loved this name because I thought you pronounce it Huh-lay-nuh or Hell EE Nuh. But after hearing Helena Bonham Carter introduced, I found out it is, apparently, Helen with an added a. I guess I prefer it pronounced like Elaine.
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This is one of my favourite feminine names, it's just so pretty, elegant and versatile, I really like it a lot.
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Beautiful and mature name with a good meaning.
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This is my chosen name! It's the first one I've stuck with that I love so very dearly. I like that I can have Helen or Hel as nicknames :)
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It sounds so FEMININE, CLASSIC, ELEGANT which describes all about this particular name... but many of you guys pronounce HELENA differently than some others... it's commonly pronounced as He Le Nuh..the emphasis on the first e. Which explains why I think this name is classic, yet not overly posh or cutesy. It sounds nice on a teenaged girl and elegant for middle aged women like the names Elizabeth and Catherine/Katherine and Diana etc... also there's a fictional character named Helena Ravenclaw in the Harry Potter Series whom gave Harry Potter vital information regarding Voldemorts Horcrux called Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw in Harry's quest to destroy the remaining Voldemort's horcrux in final series. It has timelessness to me that many names out there simply do not possess. Helen is a nice name TOO. But both Helen and Helena are both equally beautiful, IMHO. I prefer Helena probably because the extra syllable boasts more than anything (seems more…regal?). Helen also makes me think of Helen of Troy and all the tragedy that befell her, and Helen Keller who was American author and disability rights advocate. I think the n in Helena breaks up the Tsunami that is all things ella. All in all, I like BOTH.
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Gunnel Barbro Helena Jakobsson Mauritzson is a Swedish folk musician.
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Annika Helena Björkegren was one of the member of a Swedish folk group Gunnfjauns Kapell.
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Last year (2022), 2680 baby girls were given the name Helena in Poland. This name was 21st in the most popular names for girls ranking. Additionally, 1293 baby girls were given Helena as their middle name. It was #6 in the most popular middle names for girls ranking. As of January this year, there have been 167835 Helenas in Poland, which makes this name the 44th most common name among Polish women. 156992 others have Helena as their middle name, and it is the 18th most common middle name for women in Poland.
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Not a fan. Sounds very occultish and old school to me. Cannot see this name at all fitting a nice blonde young lady, sounds like something an old witch would be called.
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My instinctive pronunciation is HEL-en-uh, which was ironically what put me off the name for so long despite thinking it pretty. I couldn't get past the "hell" beginning (same with Helen). Recently, however, this barrier has faded for me. Still weighing whether I prefer Helena to Eleanor / Elinor.
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Also Romansh:
Source: "Vornamen in der Schweiz. Prénoms en Suisse. I nomi in Svizzera. Prenoms in Svizra" (1993) published by the Association of Swiss registrars
Https://sursassiala.ch/2015/01/15/familienforschung/
Https://www.portraitarchiv.ch/portrait?page=55
Http://www.annalas.ch/persunas/display/q:Helena
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Source: "Vornamen in der Schweiz. Prénoms en Suisse. I nomi in Svizzera. Prenoms in Svizra" (1993) published by the Association of Swiss registrars
Https://sursassiala.ch/2015/01/15/familienforschung/
Https://www.portraitarchiv.ch/portrait?page=55
Http://www.annalas.ch/persunas/display/q:Helena
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OoooOoOo just gorgeous! Helena summons to mind imagery of rich liqueur cherries, gorgeous dusty gothic libraries as well as the wild and wonderful Helena Bonham Carter. This is also a bit like a breath of fresh air on a crisp sunny winter's day.
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Very pretty - I love how international this name is!
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Pretty and even a bit elegant. I am immediately reminded of the My Chemical Romance song when I hear this name, which was one of my favorite songs for a long time. I prefer it to Helen, too.
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Lovely regal simple natural wholesome. What I love about old names like Helena, Josephine, Alice, Eleanor, Jane, Rose etc is they could suit just about anyone. A bikini model, an astronaut, a martial arts instructor, a homeless person, an oil tycoons wife, an influencer, a stay at home mom, a postal lady, an inventor, a nurse, a bird watcher, a genocidal maniac just about anyone.
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Mature and somewhat elegant. I prefer 2 syllable girl's names and find 3 syllable ones a bit of an unnecessary mouthful for a name, it's bound to get shortened.
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Helena Josefsson is a Swedish Singer, member of band Sandy Mouche, who has released solo albums, collaborated with a lot of musicians as backing vocalist, toured with Per Gessle/Roxette, and sung a couple of songs with Arash Labaf.
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Last year (2021) 2687 baby Helenas were born in Poland, which means this name was #22 in most popular girl names' ranking. 1545 baby girls were named Helena as a middle name, which makes it the 6th names in baby girl middle names' ranking. As of January this year, Helena has been the 42nd most common name in Poland, with 172745 bearers.
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A very rich and womanly name. This name is like a red velvety rose or a luminescent waterlily scintillating in the darkness of night. It's not cute or sweet or refreshing, this name is no Lucy, it is 100% woman.
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Helena is classical but not overused, feminine but not too girly. I’ve always really liked it. I prefer the HEL-en-uh pronunciation.
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Beautiful, beautiful name. I also love Elena and Eleanor (they can both rhyme the way they're pronounced in England) slightly prefer Helena atm just because of the popularity of El names. I picture Helena on a free-spirited southern European woman (I also think of the magnificent Helena Bonham Carter)
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Helena, also known as Helly is a fictional character on Apple TV's series, Severance. She's portrayed by actress Britt Lower.
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Elegant and free spirited. Not sure why I love this so much considering I’m not a fan of the name Helen. Helena is lovely.
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Helena is such a graceful and elegant name, I think Helen is also very pretty! The meaning “Shining light” is just the cherry on the top for this name, everything is just perfect.
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The best name in the whole world! I like Helen but Helena is much more refined and not old lady-like. Also I pronounce this name as like Helen with an a, not "He-lay-na" or "He-li-na".
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So elegant, womanly and timeless!
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I think it is a good name.
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At first I didn’t understand why this name was ranked so high because I was pronouncing it like Helen. But I love the pronunciation hel-lay-nuh.
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I’m torn between Helena and Elena.
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I recently found out my 2nd great grandmother was named Helena Silva. And I'm absolutely in love with this name since then.
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I’ve taken this off the list a few times. However, I keep going back to this name and re adding it to our list. I hesitate because I feel it may get mispronounced as well. We like it pronounced Ha lay na. Helena is back on our list so we’ll see.
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Helena Meraai is a Belarusian-Syrian child singer who represented Belarus in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2017 with the song "I Am The One". It got 5th place, though in my opinion it should've got 1st!
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Super pretty, though I wouldn't use it.
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Pretty pronounced “He Lay na”. We are considering this name (nn Laney).
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I’ve been wanting to name my daughter Helena grey since I was in 6th grade after the My Chemical Romance song. Also because it sounds sort of similar to Elaine, which is my grandmother’s name :)
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I really like this name and its historical roots.
And the meaning is really interesting.
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And the meaning is really interesting.
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American punk rock band "Misfits" has a song called "Helena".
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I like this pronounced “Ha Layna”, but feel like this might get mispronounced.
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So pretty.
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Great name! Classic, good quality! Looks better, more complete than Helen! Just a beautiful, feminine name!
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This was on my baby girl list. I'm not sure that I love it though.
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So much prettier than Helen.
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Helena Hufflepuff, founder of the Hogwarts house Hufflepuff.
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Replace the "-ena" part in Helena Hufflepuff with a "-ga" and you're correct.
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It's really great.
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I say it Hell-lih-nah.
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I always heard it pronounced "Heh-LEH-nah".
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Much prettier than Helen.
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Possibly the best name ever?
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Lovely. I also love the song Helena by MCR :).
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For some reason this name makes me think of rock singers. The name is quite nice, more timeless than Helen.
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I prefer Helen, but I love this too.
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Maria Helena Kalaniemi is a Finnish accordionist.
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Helena Leinebo is a Norwegian singer from Stavanger.
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Helena continues to climb up the charts in Poland since a few years. Last year (2019) it was #22 in the girls' first names' ranking, and 2994 baby girls were given this name. It was #8 as a middle name, and 1714 girls were given the name Helena as a middle.
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Also pronounced: huh-LAY-nuh. [noted -ed]
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Ah yes, one of the most beautiful songs to ever be made, Helena, by My Chemical Romance.
I personally pronounce it hellen-uh, but it's a beautiful name either way.
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I personally pronounce it hellen-uh, but it's a beautiful name either way.
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Swedish singer Dea Norberg's full name is Andrea Helena Norberg.
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In July 2017, there were 192609 women in Poland named Helena.
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I would pronounce it Hah-lee-Nuh.
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Helena Virginia Gutarra is a Swedish singer.
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Last year (2018), Helena was #23 in the girls' names ranking in Poland, 2772 girls were given this name. It's climbed 4 places higher than the previous year.
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Also Catalan: http://www.idescat.cat/noms/?q=Helena&lang=en. [noted -ed]
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I think it sounds best in the British way: HEH-luh-na. Huh-LAY-na is also fine, the one pronunciation I really loathe is he-LEE-nah.
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Helena is the main character in Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well.
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Also Sorbian: https://hsb.wiktionary.org/wiki/Helena. [noted -ed]
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Helena Paparizou is a Swedish-Greek singer who represented Greece in 2001 and 2005 Eurovision with "Die For You" (2001 with Antique) and "My Number One" (2005 solo). She cracked the Top 10 in 2001 and won the event in 2005, bringing the show to Greece in 2006.
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I didn't realize there were so many pronunciations for this name. I like having it said like "Helen" but with an A at the end. "Hell-en-uh". I think this name is different in a good way, and I like how old the name is but it still sounds so radiant. I also think of the song (:
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A good role model for this name would be Helena Bonham Carter.
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I love the name Helena, and it's one of my all time favourites! My grandma's name is Helena, my name was going to be Helena, and then my sister's too, but neither of us ended up being named Helena. Helena is popular for both older ladies and little girls over here, but, a bit sadly, I haven't ever met any little girl named Helena in person, though I know lots of elderly ladies with the name Helena, all or most of them very charming and sweet and kind, just as Helenas should be. I have an impression Helenas always make for awesome grandmas, I know quite a lot of people with grandmothers with the name Helena and they always love them so so much as well as the name Helena haha. Well it's nothing particularly rare to love your grandmother, but, that's just my impression, that Helenas make for lovely and caring, warm grandmothers. I really regret I don't know any Helena below her fifties in person, but maybe I will with time. I'm not planning to have kids, but if I ever would, I think I'd at least consider Helena as a middle name for my daughter. To me, this name is so natural, classic and classy, like aristocratic I'd say, elegant, refined, sophisticated, gentle, incredibly feminine... It's rather youthful in sound, but I know plenty of women that are a living evidence that it ages very well and has some maturity to it. I love how most women with this name, be them real, or literary characters, always seem to be so good-natured, it's almost unnatural. They are idealistic, generous, innocent, sensitive, often a bit shy but when circumstances need it they can be very brave. They are caring for others so that they can easily forget about themselves, dedicated, rather introverted but can be impulsive at times, and very emotional and vulnerable inside. And I think Helenas are often religious women. I imagine a Helena as a beautiful woman, with long, black hair and sapphire eyes, white complexion, very feminine, wearing long dresses, tall, slender, with gentle, but dexterous hands. My favourite pronunciation is he-LE-nah, and it is also the most automatic one for me because I'm Polish and that's the Polish pronunciation. I really love our Polish diminutive Helenka, but I find Lena rather plain and flat. Maybe I could like it more if it wasn't so popular here as a full name. Oh, and I dislike the nickname Hela as well, it doesn't sound even half as classy as Helena does, and as subtle and tender as Helenka. I like Helen, but I think Helena has more gracefulness to it, though the pronunciation he-LAY-nuh somewhat turns me off.
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Swedish singer Jennie Abrahamson's middle name is Helena.
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Helena is pronounced he-LE-nah in Polish.
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Helena has always been a rather liked name in Poland. It's been very popular for ages, and is used a lot in Polish literature, there are also lots of famous Polish women - at least famous over here - with the name Helena (like the actress Helena Modrzejewska for example). It's considered a traditional/vintage name, slightly old-lady-ish I think, but also there is a huge come back of traditional names for babies in Poland nowadays, and Helena is pretty high in the ranking for last year - 27th place, 2547 girls - it's been rather high since quite a couple of years already. Also its diminutive, Lena, is hugely popular over here, being #5 in the ranking last year. Some Polish nicknames include: Helenka, Hela, Helka, Helcia, Helunia, Helusia, Lena, Lenka, Lenia etc. Namedays are on 2nd March, 22nd May, 18st August. It's pronounced he-LE-nah in Polish.
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In 2018, 4 is the most common age for an American (U.S.) Helena who is registered female with the Social Security Administration. It is the 1343rd most common female first name for living U.S. citizens.
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Very pretty. It is much better then Helen and Elena to me, just because it is uncommon. I prefer He-LAY-nuh though. Plus, you can shorten Helena to Lena.
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I really love this name. It is classy and elegant and kind of uncommon. Pronounced Hel-Ay-Nuh. Some middle names I think would be nice are Helena Lee, Helena Anne and Helena Lynn. A nice nickname for Helena is Laney. Not to mention it is the name of a beautiful My Chemical Romance song, after lead singer Gerard Way and bassist Mikey Way's grandmother Elena "Helena" Lee Rush.
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This is the name of a My Chemical Romance song. I pronounce it like huh-LAY-nuh as apposed to hel-en-nuh. I just think it sounds nicer.
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There's a movie called "Boxing Helena" that came out in the early 90s, in which a doctor obsessed with a woman named Helena amputates all her limbs and keeps her in his house. It's a weird movie.
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I know a woman with this name (in British Colombia, Canada) and she pronounces it hə-LAY-nə.
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I prefer this name pronounced Huh-lee-nuh.
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My name is Helen. And I also like the name Helena. I pronounce it (hel-en-ah).
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Helena Seger is the wife of Swedish professional footballer Zlatan Ibrahimović.
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This was my great-grandmother's name, she was an awesome lady. I never got to meet her, she died about 24 years prior to my birth. I would have loved to meet her and get to know her. She seemed like an incredible lady. I think this name is very pretty, as well.
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Let's see... there is Helena Bonham Carter (great actress), Helena of Sparta - later known as Helena of Troy (ultimately shortened down to Helen of Troy)... Helena Ravenclaw from Harry Potter, and one that I haven't seen anybody post yet.
Helena Wayne, from the Golden Age of DC comics, aka "Huntress". Later became known as Helena Bertinelli, who was a star in the CW's Arrow during Season 1 and Season 2. That's all the Helenas I can think of right now...
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Helena Wayne, from the Golden Age of DC comics, aka "Huntress". Later became known as Helena Bertinelli, who was a star in the CW's Arrow during Season 1 and Season 2. That's all the Helenas I can think of right now...
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The name "Helena" exists also in Galician, pronounced just like the Spanish variant "Elena" (in these two languages, the letter "h" is mute).
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Helena is so much nicer than Helen!
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The name is also used in Iceland. [noted -ed]
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This is my name. I changed it from HELEN as Helen is very plain. Helena has a beauty to it. Helena Christensen is one of the most beautiful models...
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Neither pronunciation is bad... I think I prefer the "Hel-AY-nuh."
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My name is Helena and I love my name. We pronounce in Hel-en-a :)
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Gorgeous name, but I only like the "heh-LEN-ah" pronunciation.
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Helena is the roman/latin spelling of the name of a goddess central to ancient Greek mythodology. She's also referred to as "Helen of Troy". In Greek mythology, she was the most beautiful woman in the world, daughther to Greek god father Zeus.
My sister named her daughter Helena in her love for her and Greek mythology alike.
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My sister named her daughter Helena in her love for her and Greek mythology alike.
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My name is Helena and I like my name:) I pronounce it hel ee na, or as my younger nieces and nephews pronounce it, heeeena.
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I adore this name! I named my daughter Helena (prn. H'-LAY-na) Dominique because most baby name books claim that Helena means "light" and Dominique is usually translated as "belonging to, or of, the Lord," so, loosely translated, it means "light of the Lord." The only problem I've really come across is how many people aren't sure how to say it. But the more I say her name, the more I fall in love with it.
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Pretty name, but something about it doesn't quite click with me.
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The fact that this name has 3 or 4 ambiguous pronunciations drives me crazy! I prefer Helen.
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Helena from William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream".
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This name is beautiful and classic and so unfortunately overlooked. My friend has a little sister named Helena, and its pronounced ha-LAY-nah, like Elena with an H :)
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I adore the name Helena! It's high on my list and I might name my daughter this one day. I like the Dutch pronunciation hay-LAY-nuh the best. Huh-LEE-nuh is fabulous too. For the first pron. A nice nickname is Lainey or even Hayley, for the second I love Lena (LEE-nuh). For Helen-uh, it would be also Lena but said LEN-uh.
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Helena is very beautiful, it's sounds so exotic!
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A friend of mine is a Helena. She pronounces it HEH-luh-nuh. It rhymes with Eleanor. I think this pronunciation is prettier than heh-LEE-nuh and other pronouncations.
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This is a beautiful name. It's elegant and timeless, not a name that will ever sound out of place or immature.
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British singer Ellie Goulding's birth name is Helena Jane Goulding.
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Ellie goulding's real name is Elena, not Helena.
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Helena Cobban is an American writer.
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Helena Andrenyi is one of the characters of Agatha Christie's famous novel "Murder on the Orient Express".
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My friend is called Helena and hers is pronounced "H'Len-ah".
Which I think is prettier than "He-lee-nah" or "H'Lay-Nah".
I think it's a really neat and elegant name and much more exciting than Helen.
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Which I think is prettier than "He-lee-nah" or "H'Lay-Nah".
I think it's a really neat and elegant name and much more exciting than Helen.
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Helena Grace is the daughter of American actress Kelly Rutherford and former husband Daniel Giersch.
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The name Helena is very beautiful. It is very soft, gentle, absolutely beautiful and sweet.
Anna and Helena make two beautiful little sisters. :)
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Anna and Helena make two beautiful little sisters. :)
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There is the song "Helena Beat" by Foster The People.
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This is my best friend's name and I think it's beautiful!
It really suits her. She mostly goes by Hele.
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It really suits her. She mostly goes by Hele.
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Pretty and elegant name. I love how natural it sounds, especially when a lot of modern names are a bit sickly or artificial.
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Or it could be pronounced HEL-en-a, as in the capital of Montana, and the wife of Ben the Baker from Storykeepers.
That's one of the things I loved about Storykeepers. They knew how to pronounce the name Helena properly.
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That's one of the things I loved about Storykeepers. They knew how to pronounce the name Helena properly.
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I rather like this name, despite the awful MCR song. It's one of my favorites, though I don't think I'll be naming my daughter Helena.
I pronounce it "HEL-[]-n[]" (almost HELLNA), "h[]-LAY-n[]" and "h[]-LEEN-[]". Can't decide which I like best. Though, if I ended up preferring the "h[]-LEEN-[]" pronunciation, I'd probably spell it "Halina" which is a bit prettier in my opinion.
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I pronounce it "HEL-[]-n[]" (almost HELLNA), "h[]-LAY-n[]" and "h[]-LEEN-[]". Can't decide which I like best. Though, if I ended up preferring the "h[]-LEEN-[]" pronunciation, I'd probably spell it "Halina" which is a bit prettier in my opinion.
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The names Helena, Lena, Helen, and other variants are usually the pathetic, hopeless, naive characters in literature. My AP English teacher defines these names as the prostitutes of literature.
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The proper Latvian spelling is Helēna, not Helena. It's probably best to create a separate entry for the Latvian form. [noted -ed]
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A beautiful name, classy and elegant. It's a name that a girl can actually grow up with, and there aren't many names like that around. It also reminds me of Helena Bonham Carter, a favorite actress of mine.
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This is such a beautiful and classy name! It should be used more than it is.
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It's a nice name. I'm surprised I've only met one person with it considering it's been on the top 1000 every year in the US, excluding my birth year (1992).
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Whilst I think this is a nice name, I prefer the name Helen. Helena just sounds a bit too Mediterranean for me, personally.
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Also used in Croatia. [noted -ed]
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Lesser known is the Lakota (commonly known as Sioux) Native American version of this name. The pronunciation is /he LEE nah/. It is the Lakota version of the name that gave the Montana city it's name, not the Greek. Famous bearer's of the name include the Oglala Lakota holy man and leader, Tasunka Witko's (or Crazy Horse in English) second wife. It may also be from her that the city of Helena, Montana gained it's name or some other Native American woman as the name was common amongst the Lakota people.
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In Estonia there is a very popular form from Helena (probably derived from it)- Heleri or Helery. It popped up about 30 years ago and now is very widely used.
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In Croatian: hell-ENN-ah.
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Pronouced Ee-le(like cliché)-nuh in Portuguese.
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My mother's name, since she is Dutch she pronounces it Heh-LAY-nah. I think it is a lovely name if it is pronounced Heh-LAY-nah, not a fan of Heh-len-ah. Also, my mother's nickname was Heleen, pronounced Heh-LAYN. I would definitely give Helena or Heleen as a middle name to a daughter.
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This may just be my favorite female name. I prefer the pronunciation "He-LAY-na". If I ever have a little girl, this will be her name.
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Helena Christensen is a Danish model.
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Helena is one of the characters of the fighting game series, Dead or Alive. She is the main character of Dead or Alive 4.
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Helena Dvořáková, actress, born 30th January, 1979 in Brno.
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Contrary to the pronunciation entry, I've heard Helena pronounced:
HEL-in-a
huh-LEE-Na.
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HEL-in-a
huh-LEE-Na.
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Nickel Creek's song Helena is probably one of their best.
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Famous bearers:
Model Helena Houdová
Actress Věra Helena Hrubá-Ralston
Actress Helena Houbalová
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Model Helena Houdová
Actress Věra Helena Hrubá-Ralston
Actress Helena Houbalová
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Helena is such a beautiful and elegant name. I love it to death.
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The name Helena is a strong, feminine name. I like that it is a classic and traditional, but not too worn. It fits well with many last names because of all of its origins.
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Whenever I hear this name, I think of MCR's song "Helena". Because I have this view, I think it's dark, mysterious and very pretty.
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My name :) Pronounced ay-LAY-na in Portuguese (the h is silent).
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This is a really pretty name. I like it a whole lot better than Helen.
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My name is Helena I pronounce it he-LEE-na.
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Helena is one of the main characters in the fairy tale "The Seven Simons", which is a take-off on the story of Helen of Troy, and the fairy tale "Prince Fickle and Fair Helena", which I don't remember what is about, as I've only read the fairy book that "Prince Fickle and Fair Helena" is in once. Pretty much all of the fairy tales I mention on this site are in the collection The Fairy Tale Books of Many Colors, edited by Andrew Lang. I think Helena is a very beautiful name. I like it pronounced any way the other people have mentioned, but I prefer it HEL-enn-a. Indescribably prettier than the very boring name Helen.
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Helena was the name of Ben the baker's wife in the Storykeepers series. It's also the name of my hometown here in Montana. Since it's the capital, it's known as the "Queen city of the Rockies."
You can tell who's from the South or the East Coast and who's not by how they pronounce Helena. Those from the West pronounce it HEL-en-a, while those from the South and East pronounce it hel-EEN-a (blech!).
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You can tell who's from the South or the East Coast and who's not by how they pronounce Helena. Those from the West pronounce it HEL-en-a, while those from the South and East pronounce it hel-EEN-a (blech!).
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This is such a beautiful, classic name. (I pronounce it he-LAY-nuh)
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So much better than Helen. I like it pronounced Hel- Lee- Nuh best.
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I just find the name snooty and standoffish. The only pronunciation I have heard is hel-lay-na. She wasn't a very nice person either.
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Helena is the daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw in the Harry Potter book series. She is also known as the Grey Lady.
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My cousin's grandmother's name is Helena. She pronounces it he-leen-a. Her family calls her Leen. I thought that was an intresting pronunciation.
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I love the name Helena (my version is pronounced Helen-a). It feels elegant, a little graceful, historical, strong. A good name to have. On the other hand, I hate it when people who don't know me, pronounce it He-LAY-na or worse still He-LEE-na. Yuk! And I really dislike my middle name 'Clare' but they do go well together. Helena meaning 'bright' and Clare meaning 'clear'.
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I like this name; it seems elegant and strong, yet feminine, too. I like the nickname Nene (pronounced nay-nay).
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It is also used in Catalan.
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I prefer more Helena than Elena, I find it more beautiful.
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In the movie Mirrormask, the main character was named Helena.
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My name is Helena Clare (pronounced He-len-a) and I think it goes quite well. I was named after my auntie who pronounced it Hel-lay-na but my mother changed it to make it more personal. I like Hel-lay-na as well as Hel-len-a though!
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Very beautiful name. I like to pronounce it as "hel-AY-nah" but the other ways aren't bad either. This is much better than the name Helen, in my opinion.
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This makes me think of a bad word.
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"HEL-en-ah" is lovely, but I like "he-LAY-nah" better; it has a stronger sound.
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I absolutely love this name! My Chemical Romance used it for one of the titles of their songs, which was inspired by Gerard and Mikey Way's grandmother's passing, whose name was Helen, but they thought of her as Helena. I say the name like HEL-len-a. If I had a daughter, I would name her this!
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Helena is a very beautiful name in my opinion.
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This name has been perverted by popular culture throughout the ages. I personally hate this name, both because of the "Midsummer Night's Dream" character and the My Chemical Romance song (the only good aspect of it is when they do the umbrella dance in the music video XD).
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No offense but I don't like this name, it sounds kind of snooty.
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I believe Helena is a beautiful name. If I ever have a daughter I would like to name her this. It's old fashioned and classic yet not to common and still fits with the naming style of today. It's also very elegant sounding.
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English should be listed as well. [noted -ed]
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My preferred pronunciation is "he-LAY-na". This version of Helen is much prettier to me; I always envisioned this dowdy person when I heard the name "Helen" (possibly due to the sound of the "h").
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Helena is a very common name in the Mennonite communities, or was, one or two generations ago.
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Helena was also of the characters in William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." I think this is a very pretty and feminine name.
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Saint Helena was the mother of Constantine I.
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In Sweden, Helena is pronounced "he-LEH-nah", similar but not quite as "he-LAY-na".
[noted -ed]
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[noted -ed]
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The Greek singer (winner in Eurovision 2005) Helena Paparizou is a famous bearer.
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It means "woman Greek" and in Spanish it is pronounced e-LE-na.
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One of Queen Victoria's daughters was named Helena (pronounced Helen-ah).
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Can be prounounced:
Hey-Lay-Nah (as in the My Chemical Romance song)
Helen-nah (as in the actress)
And I've heard "Hay-lana" but I think that was someone doing a very bad accent...
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Hey-Lay-Nah (as in the My Chemical Romance song)
Helen-nah (as in the actress)
And I've heard "Hay-lana" but I think that was someone doing a very bad accent...
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I think Helena is more exciting than Helen, but they're both equally pretty and elegant.
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My name is Helena, and it has a French accent over the second 'e', which I couldn't get to show up here. Because of the accent, it is pronounced hel-ay-na. A Greek name with a French accent. My mother was definitely creative!
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I love this name! I think Helena is the most beautiful name ever! Wow, what can I say about this fantastic name? Not only its classic origin (a marvel of beauty, Helen of Troy) but also its sound and spelling are just incredibly
beautiful, graceful and ladylike. It reminds me of a woman gifted with both intelligence and beauty. It's the name anyone would be proud to have. Also I think Helena is more mysterious and unique than Helen. If I have a daughter,
she'll be named Helena! :)
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beautiful, graceful and ladylike. It reminds me of a woman gifted with both intelligence and beauty. It's the name anyone would be proud to have. Also I think Helena is more mysterious and unique than Helen. If I have a daughter,
she'll be named Helena! :)
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Dutch pronunciation is hay-LAY-nah. [noted -ed]
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The name Helena seems to be pronounced many different ways. There's hel-AY-na, hel-EE-na, and (this is my least favorite) helen-a.
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Argh! I can't believe you hate the name Helen-a, that's how you say my name! Take it back, now!
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Helena is my name. Usually people don't like their own names but I love mine. ^_^ I think it's a beautiful name and I'm proud to be its bearer.
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Actress Helena Bonham Carter is a famous bearer.
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Helena is the greatest name in the WHOLE world.
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Can be pronounced as he-LAY-na, he-LEE-na or HEL-en-ah.
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"Helena" is a really beautiful song by My Chemical Romance. You should see the video for that song. It is absolutely stunning. What a lovely lady.
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Thanks to My Chemical Romance, I love this name! The song is beautiful. The song is named Helena after Gerard and Mickey Way's grandmother whose name was Elena (Helena) Lee Rush.
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There's a town/city in Montana called Helena.
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The Helena River (pronounced he-LEE-na) is one of the three main rivers in Perth, the capital city of Western Australia.
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In German this is pronounced heh-LEEN-ah, in English it is traditionally pronounced HEH-lenn-ah. I simply adore this name; it is so beautiful, feminine, sophisticated, and strong, plus, its history is astounding.
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The entry says "Latinate form of Helen." This is reasonable from an English-speaking persective, but both derive from the ancient Greek name. Helen is the Anglicized version and certainly newer. Helena is the Latin transliteration of the ancient Greek name while the English version drops the final vowel.
There are two forms of the name in Greek. Modern and ancient Attic is 'ELENH and ancient Doric/Aeolian etc. is 'ELENA (the vowel shift eta-alpha was common between the dialects as in SPARTH-SPARTA). Note that the leading H is not written, but indicated by '.
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There are two forms of the name in Greek. Modern and ancient Attic is 'ELENH and ancient Doric/Aeolian etc. is 'ELENA (the vowel shift eta-alpha was common between the dialects as in SPARTH-SPARTA). Note that the leading H is not written, but indicated by '.
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Comments are left by users of this website. They are not checked for accuracy.
I think it's a pretty name, and Helen-a is my preferred pronunciation.