Helen vs May
Helen and Maycompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Helen was ranked #381 and May #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Helen was ranked #438 and May #481 among girls in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2013, Helen was ranked #440 and May #440 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Helen was ranked #885 and May #610 among girls in England and Wales.
Helen and May over time
Helen and May appear together in 3 published lists, across 141 years of shared records. May held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Helen in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Helen reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, May in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Helen and May changed places 13 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #438 and #481.
- Longest-running competitions
Helen and May were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 78 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #438 and #481.
List by list
Norway · Girls78 shared years, 1945–2025
Helen held the stronger position in 18 of those years, May in 60.
Highest recorded here: Helen #93 in 1970, May #24 in 1956.
The order changed in 2025: Helen moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #461 and #435; by 2025 that had become #438 and #481.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Helen #438, May #481.
Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1967–2025
Helen held the stronger position in 27 of those years, May in 6.
Highest recorded here: Helen #13 in 1967, May #262 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Helen #381, May #718.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Helen held the stronger position in 12 of those years, May in 17.
Highest recorded here: Helen #108 in 1996, May #325 in 2007.
The order changed in 2019: May moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #641 and #778; by 2019 that had become #749 and #737.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Helen #885, May #610.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Helen | May |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | The English form of Greek Helene. The meaning is genuinely debated among scholars — likely from Greek 'helene' ('torch'), though some suggest a connection to 'selene' ('moon'). In mythology, Helen's abduction by Paris sparked the Trojan War; the name's continued Christian use stems from Saint Helena. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Greek, meaning disputed | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhɛl.ən/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Helena, Helene, Ellen, Elena | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #381 (2025) | Norway · Girls #481 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Helen has a recorded origin (Greek, meaning disputed); May does not have one recorded yet.
- Helen has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for May.
- A meaning is recorded for Helen; May doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
- The available evidence gives Helen a "high" Data Confidence level and May a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Helen
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #149 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1982
Highest recorded position: #9 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1982).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #438 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
May
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #43 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #24 among girls in Norway, in 1956 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #481 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls