[name_f]Helena[/name_f]?
Heh-lay-nah
or
Heh-leh-nah?
And where are you from?
I have some reservations about the first syllable sounding like “hell”.
Any thoughts?
Thanks Berries!
My pronunciation is heh-luh-nuh, so heh-leh-nah would be the closest from your options. I’m from South West England.
I wouldn’t be too concerned about it beginning with “Hell”. Helen is such a familiar name that I don’t think it would be an issue with Helena, either.
I pronounce it He-luh-nuh, but I used to pronounce it He-lay-nah, and I like both.
I wouldn’t worry about the Hell thing, [name_f]Helen[/name_f] is such a well established name that it wouldn’t be an issue, I think.
I would first say Heh-[name_m]LAY[/name_m]-na but I know this name has multiple pronunciations so I would adjust to whatever was preferred. I am in the Eastern U.S. I think this is a lovely name.
I’m in Australia and pronounce it Hel-uhn-ah with emphasis on first syllable. [name_f]Lovely[/name_f] name and I don’t see this pronunciation as a problem.
Hel-lay-nuh - but I wouldn’t be surprised to hear it pronounced Hel-leh-nuh either. (I just like the lay pn) (I’m form the UK btw)
I wouldn’t worry about the hell sound. It’s such a well established name I don’t think it’s a connotation people will draw
HEL-uh-nuh. It’s beautiful, and I never think of Hell when I hear it.
I’m in the United States Midwest and the only way I’ve heard it pronounced is Heh-[name_m]LAY[/name_m]-na.
I’ve never thought of hell when I hear [name_f]Helena[/name_f], but that might have something to do with how I’ve always heard it being pronounced? Heh-[name_m]LAY[/name_m] instead of Hel-uh. IDK, but it’s a beautiful name.
I’m in Australia and I taught a girl named [name_f]Helena[/name_f]. She pronounces it
[name_f]Helen[/name_f] - a.
I say “heh-leh-nuh” and I think it’s a lovely name! I’m personally not a fan of the other pronunciation. I also never think of hell when I hear it.
I’m from the east coast of the U.S.
I’m from Switzerland and I say Heh-leh-nuh. Generally speaking every native [name_m]German[/name_m] speaker will pronounce it that way.
I’m from the midwestern United States and I would pronounce it Hel-uhn-ah. As some people said, if you corrected me and said it was he-lay-nah it wouldn’t be very difficult for me to adjust.
And I don’t think people will think about “hell” from this name. [name_f]Helen[/name_f] and [name_f]Helena[/name_f] are both well known names, and I don’t think many if anyone would think of that.
I love [name_f]Helena[/name_f]! Beautiful and elegant 
I pronounce it Heh-leh-nah/Hel-uhn-ah, and am from the midwestern US.
Heh-lay-nuh would be my first guess but I’ve watched too much Orphan black recently and that’s how the character [name_f]Helena[/name_f] in that show pronounces it.
I am from the midwestern U.S. and have a cousin with this name. She/we pronounce it heh-lay-nah, but she not infrequently gets strangers calling her heh-leh-nah. However, I will say she frequently gets compliments on her name, and she has only ever met one other [name_f]Helena[/name_f]. I don’t think anyone has ever been concerned about the hell sound at the beginning.
All in all I think you would get both pronunciations occasionally wherever you live, depending on if people saw [name_f]Elena[/name_f]-with-an-H, or [name_f]Helena[/name_f]-like-[name_f]Helena[/name_f]-Bonham-[name_u]Carter[/name_u]. It’s a name that requires some guidance, but it is very nice.
I’m from Croatia (so central-eastern Europe) and would pronounce it as hel-EH-nuh. My name’s [name_f]Elena[/name_f] and I pronounce it as el-EH-nuh, as well.
Huh lay nuh
I’d say hel-LEH-nuh and I much prefer this pronunciation.
Hel-enn-uh is how I would say it. From South [name_m]Wales[/name_m], UK.
Most likely I’d pronounce it as Hel-[name_m]LEN[/name_m]-ah, like the capital of the state of [name_u]Montana[/name_u] in the US. But I wouldn’t be surprised to be told it’s Hel-[name_m]LAY[/name_m]-nah or even Hel-EEN-ah. I’m from upstate NY in the US.