Helena

Helena is a Latinized form of the ancient Greek name Helene, derived from the root helene, meaning torch or bright light, though some scholars have also linked it to Hellas, the Greek name for Greece itself. The name is most famously associated in classical mythology with Helen of Troy, whose legendary beauty was said to have sparked the Trojan War. In the Christian tradition, Saint Helena, mother of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great, gave the name enduring religious significance, particularly for her reputed discovery of the True Cross in Jerusalem. Related forms include the Greek Helene, the French Hélène, the Spanish Elena, and the English Ellen and Eleanor.