Same Name?!--Helen

Helen probably brings up conflicting images--first there's Helen of Troy, so beautiful a war was fought over her. And then there's likely your next-door neighbor, your aunt, or the PTA president.

Helen (and medieval variant Ellen) were high on the charts for quite some time; only dropping off a couple generations ago. Other versions seem to be on everyone's lists, though, from the Latinate Helena to the "how-many-ways-can-we-spell-it?" Elena.

• Alyona (ahl-YOH-nah)--Russian
• Eilidh (AY-lee)--Scottish
• Elaine (ee-LAYN)--English
• Eleni (el-EH-nee)--Greek
• Elina (EL-ee-nah)--Finnish
• Ileana (ee-lay-AW-nah)--Romanian
• Ilona (ee-LOH-nah, EE-lon-ah)--German, Hungarian
• Léana (LAY-an-ah)--Irish
• Lenka (LEN-kah)--Czech
• Lenuta (len-OO-tsah)--Romanian
• Nell (NEL)--English
• Yelena (ye-LEH-nah, EE-leh-nah)--Russian