Helen vs Thora
Helen and Thoracompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2017, Helen was ranked #400 and Thora #515 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Helen was ranked #885 and Thora #4192 among girls in England and Wales.
Helen and Thora over time
Helen and Thora appear together in 2 published lists, across 48 years of shared records. Helen held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Thora in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
Helen and Thora were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 31 years, from 1945 to 2017, ending at #400 and #515.
List by list
Norway · Girls31 shared years, 1945–2017
Helen held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Thora in 0.
Highest recorded here: Helen #93 in 1970, Thora #316 in 1947.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Helen #400, Thora #515.
England and Wales · Girls17 shared years, 2008–2024
Helen held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Thora in 0.
Highest recorded here: Helen #475 in 2008, Thora #1501 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Helen #885, Thora #4192.
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 | Thora |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| 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, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #381 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #4192 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Helen has a recorded origin (Greek, meaning disputed); Thora does not have one recorded yet.
- Helen and Thora both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Helen; Thora doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
- The available evidence gives Helen a "high" Data Confidence level and Thora 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
Thora
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #366 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2023
Highest recorded position: #316 among girls in Norway, in 1947 (recorded 1945–2023).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4192 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls