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Helena Family History

Helena Surname Meaning

Portuguese: from the personal name Helena from Latin Helena of Greek origin related to helanē ‘torch’ and helē ‘brightness of the sun’.

The popularity of this as a personal name is due largely to Saint Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine, who was influential as a Christian proselytizer in Byzantium.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Helena family from?

You can see how Helena families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Helena family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1861 and 1920. The most Helena families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there was 1 Helena family living in London. This was about 50% of all the recorded Helena's in United Kingdom. London and 1 other county had the highest population of Helena families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Helena surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Helena ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Helena. 100% of Helena women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Helena | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Helena family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Helena. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Helena census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Helena

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Helena. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Helena immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 476 military records available for the last name Helena. For the veterans among your Helena ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Helena military records

You've only scratched the surface of Helena family history

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What is the average Helena lifespan?

Between 1964 and 2004, in the United States, Helena life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2003, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Helena in 1964 was 74, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Helena

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Helena ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Helena family tree

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