# Helena
## English
### Etymology

A Latinate form of Helen, from Latin Helena.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈhɛlənə/
* IPA: (esp. Southern US) /hɛˈliːnə/
* Audio (Southern England):(file)

### Proper noun

Helena
* A female given name from Ancient Greek.
** c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:Stay gentle Helena, heare my excuſe: / My loue, my life, my ſoule, faire Helena.
* The capital city of Montana, United States and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County.
* A city in Alabama.
* A city in Arkansas.
* A town in Oklahoma.
* A village in Ohio.
* A census-designated place in Mississippi.
* A hamlet in New York.
* A ghost town in Texas.

#### Derived terms

* Helena-West Helena
* McRae-Helena
* Mount Helena
* Saint Helena, St. Helena

### Anagrams

* Lehane, anhele

## Catalan
### Proper noun

Helena f
* Helena

## Cebuano
### Etymology

From English Helena, from Latin Helena.

### Proper noun

Helena
* a female given name from Latin

## Czech
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈɦɛlɛna]

### Proper noun

Helena f
* a female given name, equivalent to English Helen

#### Related terms

* See Helén
* Ilona

### Further reading

* “Helena”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
* “Helena”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

## Danish
### Etymology

A Latinate variant of Danish Helene (“Helen”).

### Proper noun

Helena
* a female given name

## Dutch
### Etymology

Ultimately from Latin Helena, from Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ɦeːˈleːnaː/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: He‧le‧na

### Proper noun

Helena f
* a female given name, a Latinate variant of Heleen (=Helen)

#### Related terms

* Heleen, Leen

## Estonian
### Etymology

From Latin Helena, from Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē). Doublet of Jelena.

### Proper noun

Helena
* a female given name, equivalent to English Helen

#### Related terms

* Heleene, Elina, Elle, Ellen, Hele, Helen, Heleri, Heli, Helina, Helle, Ilona

## Faroese
### Etymology

Ultimately, from Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē), cognate with English Helen.

### Proper noun

Helena f
* a female given name

#### Usage notes

Matronymics
* son of Helena: Helenuson
* daughter of Helena: Helenudóttir

#### Declension
## Finnish
### Etymology

From Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē), cognate with English Helen. Doublet of Elina, Helinä, Elena, and Jelena.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈhelenɑ/, [ˈhe̞le̞nɑ̝]
* Rhymes: -elenɑ
* Hyphenation: He‧le‧na

### Proper noun

Helena
* a female given name
** 1984, Veronica Pimenoff, Loistava Helena, Tammi, →ISBN, page 55:Se ei koskaan unohtanut Helenan nimipäivää, vaan päivitteli joka vuosi typerään tapaansa että Helena oli niitä nimiä jotka sukupolvesta toiseen säilyttivät asemansa. Aika oudosti sanottu Maggi-tädiltä. No, olihan noita Helenoita.She had never forgotten Helena's name day, but always bemoaned that Helena is one of thsoe names that endured from one generation to another. Weird coming from aunt Maggi. Well, yes, Helenas were indeed a thing.
** 1991, Orvokki Kangas, Marraslapsi, Karisto, →ISBN, page 17:Eeva kysyi Matiakselta, tuntuisiko tästä turhamaiselta tai herraskaiselta, jos lapsen kutsumanimeksi pantaisiin Helena. Hän kertoi myös kotikylän nimikkokukasta. Hänen rakkautensa kukkaan oli saanut alkunsa Helenan tarinasta. —Aivan hyvä nimi, sanoi Matias, —sopisikohan siihen vielä Loviisa-äidin nimi?Eeva asked Matias whether it would seem conceited or fanciful to give the child a name like Helena' and told of the flower the village was named after. Her love to the flower had begun from Helenas story. —It's a pretty good name, Matias said, —could the mother's name Loviisa also fit with it?

#### Declension

Possessive forms of Helena (Kotus type 12/kulkija, no gradation) :
first-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
Helenani
Helenani
accusative
nom.
Helenani
Helenani
gen.
Helenani
genitive
Helenani
Helenoideni Helenoitteni Helenaini $^{rare}$
partitive
Helenaani
Helenoitani
inessive
Helenassani
Helenoissani
elative
Helenastani
Helenoistani
illative
Helenaani
Helenoihini
adessive
Helenallani
Helenoillani
ablative
Helenaltani
Helenoiltani
allative
Helenalleni
Helenoilleni
essive
Helenanani
Helenoinani
translative
Helenakseni
Helenoikseni
abessive
Helenattani
Helenoittani
instructive
comitative
—Helenoineni
second-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
Helenasi
Helenasi
accusative
nom.
Helenasi
Helenasi
gen.
Helenasi
genitive
Helenasi
Helenoidesi Helenoittesi Helenaisi $^{rare}$
partitive
Helenaasi
Helenoitasi
inessive
Helenassasi
Helenoissasi
elative
Helenastasi
Helenoistasi
illative
Helenaasi
Helenoihisi
adessive
Helenallasi
Helenoillasi
ablative
Helenaltasi
Helenoiltasi
allative
Helenallesi
Helenoillesi
essive
Helenanasi
Helenoinasi
translative
Helenaksesi
Helenoiksesi
abessive
Helenattasi
Helenoittasi
instructive
comitative
—Helenoinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
Helenamme
Helenamme
accusative
nom.
Helenamme
Helenamme
gen.
Helenamme
genitive
Helenamme
Helenoidemme Helenoittemme Helenaimme $^{rare}$
partitive
Helenaamme
Helenoitamme
inessive
Helenassamme
Helenoissamme
elative
Helenastamme
Helenoistamme
illative
Helenaamme
Helenoihimme
adessive
Helenallamme
Helenoillamme
ablative
Helenaltamme
Helenoiltamme
allative
Helenallemme
Helenoillemme
essive
Helenanamme
Helenoinamme
translative
Helenaksemme
Helenoiksemme
abessive
Helenattamme
Helenoittamme
instructive
comitative
—Helenoinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
Helenanne
Helenanne
accusative
nom.
Helenanne
Helenanne
gen.
Helenanne
genitive
Helenanne
Helenoidenne Helenoittenne Helenainne $^{rare}$
partitive
Helenaanne
Helenoitanne
inessive
Helenassanne
Helenoissanne
elative
Helenastanne
Helenoistanne
illative
Helenaanne
Helenoihinne
adessive
Helenallanne
Helenoillanne
ablative
Helenaltanne
Helenoiltanne
allative
Helenallenne
Helenoillenne
essive
Helenananne
Helenoinanne
translative
Helenaksenne
Helenoiksenne
abessive
Helenattanne
Helenoittanne
instructive
comitative
—Helenoinenne
third-person possessor
singular
plural
nominative
Helenansa
Helenansa
accusative
nom.
Helenansa
Helenansa
gen.
Helenansa
genitive
Helenansa
Helenoidensa Helenoittensa Helenainsa $^{rare}$
partitive
Helenaansa
Helenoitaan Helenoitansa
inessive
Helenassaan Helenassansa
Helenoissaan Helenoissansa
elative
Helenastaan Helenastansa
Helenoistaan Helenoistansa
illative
Helenaansa
Helenoihinsa
adessive
Helenallaan Helenallansa
Helenoillaan Helenoillansa
ablative
Helenaltaan Helenaltansa
Helenoiltaan Helenoiltansa
allative
Helenalleen Helenallensa
Helenoilleen Helenoillensa
essive
Helenanaan Helenanansa
Helenoinaan Helenoinansa
translative
Helenakseen Helenaksensa
Helenoikseen Helenoiksensa
abessive
Helenattaan Helenattansa
Helenoittaan Helenoittansa
instructive
comitative
—Helenoineen Helenoinensa :

#### Related terms

* Elina, Ellen, Elli, Heleena, Heli, Helinä, Helli, Hellin, Ilona, Leena

#### Statistics

* Helena is the 53rd most common female given name in Finland, belonging to 12,343 female individuals (and as a middle name to 108,667 more, making it more common as a middle name), according to February 2023 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

## German
### Etymology

Latinate variant of German Helene (“Helen”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈhɛˌlena]
* Audio (Austria):(file)
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: He‧le‧na

### Proper noun

Helena
* a female given name

## Hawaiian
### Etymology

Borrowed from English Helen.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /heˈle.na/, [hɛˈlɛ.nə]

### Proper noun

Helena
* a female given name from English

#### Related terms

* ʻElena
* Helene

### References

* Mary Kawena Pukui - Samuel H. Elbert, Hawaiian Dictionary, University of Hawaii Press 1971, page 185
* Hawaii State Archives: Marriage records Helena occurs in 19th century marriage records as the only name (mononym) of 6 women.

## Icelandic
### Proper noun

Helena f (proper noun, genitive singular Helenu)
* a female given name

#### Declension
## Latin
### Alternative forms

* Helene

### Etymology

From Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē).

### Pronunciation

* (Classical Latin) IPA: /ˈhe.le.na/, [ˈhɛɫ̪ɛnä]
* (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA: /ˈe.le.na/, [ˈɛːlenä]

### Proper noun

Helena f (genitive Helenae); first declension
* Helen

#### Declension

First-declension noun, singular only.

#### Descendants

* Eastern Romance:
** Romanian: Ileana
*** → Italian: Ileana
*** → Spanish: Ileana
* Italian: Elena
* Old French: Elene, Elaine
** → English: Elaine
* Old Galician-Portuguese:
** Portuguese: Elena, Helena
* Old Spanish:
** Spanish: Elena
* Sardinian: Elene
From Italian and Spanish Elena
* → English: Elena
* → Czech: Elena
* → Danish: Elena
* → Finnish: Elena
* → German: Elena
* → Latvian: Elēna, Elena
* → Norwegian: Elena
* → Swedish: Elena
Medieval borrowings
* → Danish: Elin
* → English: Ellen
** → Hawaiian: ʻElena
* → Faroese: Elin
* → Finnish: Elina, Eliina
* → Hungarian: Ilona
** → Czech: Ilona
** → Estonian: Ilona
** → Finnish: Ilona
** → German: Ilona
** → Latvian: Ilona
** → Lithuanian: Ilona
** → Polish: Ilona
* → Irish: Léan
* → Latvian: Elīna
* → Lithuanian: Elena
* → Norwegian: Elin
* → Swedish: Elin, Elina
* → Welsh: Elen
Modern borrowings
* → Alemannic German: Helene
* → Basque: Helena
* → Breton: Elena
* → Catalan: Helena
* → Czech: Helena
* → Danish: Helena, Helene
* → Dutch: Helena, Heleen
* → English: Helena
* → English: Helen
* → Estonian: Helena, Helina
* → Faroese: Helena
* → Finnish: Helena
* → French: Hélène
** → Armenian: Էլեն (Ēlen)
** → English: Helen
** → Swedish: Hélène
* → German: Helena, Helene
* → Greek: Ελενα (Elena)
* → Hungarian: Heléna, Helené
* → Karelian: Heta
* → Latvian: Helēna
* → Lithuanian: Helenė
* → Northern Sami: Helená, Heleainná
* → Norwegian: Helena, Helene
* → Polish: Helena
* → Portuguese: Helena
* → Romanian: Elena
* → Spanish: Helena
* → Slovak: Helena, Elena
* → Slovene: Helena
* → Swedish: Helena, Helene
* → Yiddish: העלענע (Helene)

### References

“Helena”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press

## Norwegian
### Etymology

Latinate variant of Norwegian Helene (“Helen”).

### Proper noun

Helena
* a female given name

## Polish
### Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin Helena.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /xɛˈlɛ.na/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -ɛna
* Syllabification: He‧le‧na
* Homophone: helena

### Proper noun

Helena f (diminutive Helenka or Hela)
* (countable) a female given name from Latin [in turn from Ancient Greek], equivalent to English Helen
* (uncountable, Greek mythology) Helen (goddess worshipped in Laconia and Rhodes)
* (uncountable, Greek mythology) Helen (daughter of Zeus and Leda, considered to be the most beautiful woman in the world; her abduction by Paris brought about the Trojan War)
* (uncountable, astronomy) Helene (moon of Saturn)

#### Declension
### Further reading

* Helena in Polish dictionaries at PWN
* Helena in PWN's encyclopedia

## Portuguese
### Alternative forms

* Elena

### Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin Helena, from Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē).

### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /eˈlẽ.nɐ/
* (Brazil) IPA: /eˈlẽ.nɐ/
** (Southern Brazil) IPA: /eˈle.na/
* (Portugal) IPA: /iˈle.nɐ/
* Hyphenation: He‧le‧na

### Proper noun

Helena f (plural Helenas)
* a female given name from Ancient Greek, equivalent to English Helen

#### Derived terms

* Lena

## Slovak
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈɦɛlɛna/

### Proper noun

Helena f (genitive singular Heleny, nominative plural Heleny, declension pattern of žena)
* a female given name

#### Derived terms

* Helenka, Helenôčka
* Hela, Helka
* Heluša, Heluška
* Ela, Elka
* Eluša, Eluška

### Further reading

* “Helena”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2025

## Swedish
### Etymology

From Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē), cognate with English Helen. First recorded in Sweden in the 12th century.

### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Proper noun

Helena c (genitive Helenas)
* a female given name

#### Related terms

* Elin, Elina, Ellen, Elna, Helen, Helén, Helene, Hélène, Lena

### References

* Roland Otterbjörk: Svenska förnamn, Almqvist & Wiksell 1996, →ISBN
* Statistiska centralbyrån and Sture Allén, Staffan Wåhlin, Förnamnsboken, Norstedts 1995, →ISBN: 82 717 females with the given name Helena living in Sweden on December 31st, 2010, with the frequency peak in the 1970s. Accessed on 19 June 2011.