Helon

History & Origin

Helon is an uncommon early-twentieth-century girls' name most naturally understood as a variant of Helen, the Greek name long associated with helene, 'torch' or 'light', though scholars regard that meaning as traditional rather than certain. A distinct biblical Helon exists as a man's name, but the feminine American use points back to Helen.

Helon appears only as a scattering, most visible in the nineteen-tens and twenties and gone from the record by mid-century — a few dozen girls a year at its faint peak. It reads as a vintage, slightly mysterious offshoot of a great classic; Helen and Helena are the familiar living forms, while Helon stays an old-record rarity.