My hunch was pretty close: it's a
German nickname for
Helena
http://www.geocities.com/jesusib/Helena.html
Having a princess known as Lenchen *might* explain why an unusual
German name could have found its way into a more mainstream naming pool. It's tenuous, but that's the best I can come up with!
♦ Chrisell ♦
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. - J.R.R. Tolkien.