Helen

[omgzits--tam.livejournal.com]

I've just started to like this name (as of today is how 'just' it actually is) but I was wondering what you guys thought of it.

Too old-layish? Plain?

What do you guys think of the variants, Helene, Hellen, Helena?

Comments

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

I actually really like names that are considered "old-ladyish" (ie, Margaret, Eleanor, Harriet, etc.)

It's not one I'd use, but I think it's cute, and it's definitely a name that could be really cute on a child.

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

PS: I used to really dislike Helena, but it's growing on me. I think I actually like it better than Helen. However, I'm not a fan of the other variants.

[omgzits--tam.livejournal.com]

How do you say Helena,

a) Hell-AY-nah
b) Like 'Helen' with an 'a' on the end

?

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

I say it like Helen-uh.

[sandtree.livejournal.com]

My great-great-grandmother's name was Helena, and it was actually pronounced 'heh-LEE-nah'.

[omfg----hxc.livejournal.com]

I hate Helen.
Its too plain and old ladyish.

But I don't mind Helena.

[bluekoala.livejournal.com]

I LOVE Helen!

Helena is also nice. Hellen looks...kinda ridiculous, I'm sorry to say. I don't know how to pronounce Helene.

[anapology.livejournal.com]

Helene is Frence. Sort of pronounced Hel-en with emphasis on both syllables.
It works better if you say it in a french or british accent.

[rubytitania.livejournal.com]

I don't think of it as old lady-ish really. There were three Helens in my year at school and I'm 25. It's also my mother's name. I like it. I think it's classic and elegant and it makes me think of Helen of Troy.

[anapology.livejournal.com]

I hate it. It's one of my most hated normal names.
I think it sounds ugly, isn't remotely pretty and has the sound 'hell'.
What's to like IMO.

I could deal with Helena pronounced He-lane-uh as in Christiansen but even then I still find it rather ugly.

[waitingonsunday.livejournal.com]

Helen is one of my favorites. Helena isn't okay, but I don't like any of the other variants.

Even though it is one of my favorites, I have to admit that Helen has a Damien vibe to it for me. When I was young, I read a book called Wait till Helen Comes, in which Helen was a vengeful spirit who led children to watery graves. That's always stuck with me.

[after-the-ashes.livejournal.com]

I like Helene.

I hate Helen because of my grandma...

[omgzits--tam.livejournal.com]

I am reluctant to like it since I have a crazy aunt who refuses to die named Helen.

[0o-faerie.livejournal.com]

It's plain yes, but I sorta like it.
I prefer Helena, though =)

[rorylareina.livejournal.com]

Helen is one of my favorites. I think it's classic and distinguished without being pretentious or overly long. I don't mind Helena (HEL-en-ah), but I'm not a fan of other variants.

[chibiaichan.livejournal.com]

I like Helen... but then again I'm partial because it's my grandma's name =) At the child care I work at about a year ago we had a little Chinese girl named Helen.

[requiem-morrow.livejournal.com]

I like Helen; it was my grandmother's name. I love Helena (Helaina).

I read a book when I was young with a girl named Helen. Her nn was Hel. I love it:)

[rowan-belle.livejournal.com]

I think it sounds a little too plain.

[mystickiwi.livejournal.com]

I like Helena and Helene, but not plain Helen. It's not too terribly bad, but I prefer the alternatives, and have some not so nice relatives named Helen.

[crzydimond.livejournal.com]

My grandmothers name was Helen. I love it, and i will use it one way [but perhaps spelt Helene]

[pixietangerine.livejournal.com]

helen makes me think of aunt helen in the book "the perks of being a wallflower". which isn't really a good thing.
but i love helena, pronounced hel-en-uh, not so crazy about hel-ay-nuh.

[pixietangerine.livejournal.com]

ellen is nice, too, and it rhymes with helen...

[omgzits--tam.livejournal.com]

I just finished reading that book last night!
Thankfully it doesn't remind me of the character.

[lastcastle.livejournal.com]

I don't like it much. Ellen is nice though. Hellen is bad, it spells hell really obviously. Helena is really pretty, only problem being the two pronunciations. Helene I like on a French person, since it's the French form of Helen, and in French it sounds just like "Helen," but I think using it in English is asking for trouble, especially in the shape of people thinking that it is pronounced "hel-een." Which it's not.

[jordle.livejournal.com]

It always sounded too old ladyish to me but I have a 24 year old friend called Helen, so my mind has changed a little.

Out of the variations I love Helena.

[o-honeybee-o.livejournal.com]

I don't really like either Helen or Helena, but if i had to chose i'd go with Helena (pro. Hell-ay-nuh)