Explore the Family Name Helen
The meaning of Helen
1. English (Cornwall): variant of Hellen. 2. Irish: variant of Heelan.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Helen in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Helen has seen a significant decline from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Helen ranked as the 41,448th most common surname, but it fell sharply to the 73,215th position by 2010, marking a rank change of approximately -76.64%. The total count of people with this surname also dropped during this period, with a decrease of 46.46% from 495 to 265 individuals. The proportion of people named Helen per 100,000 similarly declined by half (-50%).
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #41,448 | #73,215 | -76.64% |
| Count | 495 | 265 | -46.46% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.18 | 0.09 | -50% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Helen
In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. There was a substantial increase in the percentage of those identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, rising from 2.22% to 6.04%, a growth rate of 172.07%. The Hispanic representation within the Helen family name also grew from 4.04% to 7.17%, marking an increase of 77.48%. However, the proportion of Whites decreased from 73.74% to 65.28%, down 11.47%. Those identified as Black saw a smaller decrease from 17.58% to 16.23%, a drop of 7.68%. There were no changes in the categories of "Two or more races" and "American Indian and Alaskan Native", as they remained at 0% for both years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 73.74% | 65.28% | -11.47% |
| Black | 17.58% | 16.23% | -7.68% |
| Hispanic | 4.04% | 7.17% | 77.48% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 2.22% | 6.04% | 172.07% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |