Irene
First Name Meaning, Usage, Popularity & Related Names
Irene is a Greek name meaning “peace”. It is a popular name, overwhelmingly used for girls, with 99.98% female usage.
Meaning & Origin of the name Irene
Irene is a name of Greek origin, derived from the word eirene, which refers to the concept of peace. In classical mythology, Eirene was recognized as one of the Horae, the goddesses of the seasons who maintained social order. The name attained enduring cultural significance through its association with the Roman goddess Pax and its frequent use in early Christian naming traditions.
Meaning Comments
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Gender Usage of the Name Irene
Overall Gender Classification Methodology
Irene is overwhelmingly used as a name for girls. Approximately 99.98% of recorded bearers are female. This classification is supported by extensive records and is considered highly reliable.
Popularity of the Name Irene
Note: Green bars show popularity (% of births); the violet line shows historical ranking. Data is based on official government birth records. Click any chart to view details by year and region.
Overall PopularityMethodology
Irene is listed under Popular Girl Names worldwide. Its popularity is relatively consistent across the available regional markets.
| Region | Popularity | Birth Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Common | 1 in every 6.9K births |
| United Kingdom | Popular | 1 in every 2.3K births |
| Canada | Popular | 1 in every 7.3K births |
| Australia | Common | 1 in every 102K births |
Ranking OverviewMethodology
Irene ranked #802 on the Popular Girls’ Names Worldwide List (2025). It fell from #647 in 2024 — a drop of 155 places. Irene maintains a steady presence among commonly used names.
Historically, its best recorded position was #15 in 1920. Its lowest recorded position was #1,201 in 2013. Over the last 5 years (2020–2025) the name fell -445 places (from #357 to #802).
Name StyleMethodology
Irene is classified as Timeless Girl Names because it appears across 100% of recorded years, averages 3,013 births per year over its full timeline, and still averages 840 births per year recently.Characteristics of the Name Irene
Pronunciation & StructureMethodology
- Phonetic Source
- CMU
- Syllables
- 2 syllables — Two-Syllable Girl Names
- Length
- 5 letters — Medium-Length Girl Names
- Starts with
- I — Girl Names Starting with I
- Ends with
- e — Girl Names Ending in “e”
Name AestheticMethodology
Irene is defined by its two-syllable structure with an iambic, rising stress pattern. The name is historically tied to the Empress Irene of Athens and the film character Irene Adler, firmly grounding it in a Vintage Revival aesthetic.
Middle Names For Irene
Middle names used with IreneMethodology
Irene is most frequently used with these girl middle names: Irene Marie · Irene Elizabeth · Irene Ann · Irene Mary · Irene FrancesView all 780 girl middle names.
- Total 1,133 middle names used with Irene
- 62 boy middle names used with Irene
- 250 unisex middle names used with Irene
Middle name suggestions for IreneMethodology
Based on observed first-middle-name pattern combinations, Irene is most frequently associated with girl middle names that have 2 syllables, Weak–Strong stress pattern, 5 letters, and a starting sound of “m”.
Examples: Irene Marie · Irene Monet · Irene Mcgee · Irene Maree · Irene Monee. View all 64 suggested middle names.
Associations of the Name Irene
Royal UsageMethodology
Featured among Royal Girl Names, Irene has been used by 5 members of European royal families, including:
- Irene of Hesse (1866–1953) — Princess
- Irene (Denison) (1890–1956) — Lady
Natural Name MatchesMethodology
The complete dataset includes 4 biological records matching the name Irene. None belong to the curated biological families used to classify Flower-, Tree-, or Bird-Inspired Names. These records are provided for reference only.
Names Similar to Irene
Sound Like Irene Finder
Names with the exact same overall pronunciation and sound: Irina · Irena · Irine · View all 18 names
Spelled Like Irene Finder
Names with similar spelling patterns and letter sequences: Irlene · Irenie · Irena · View all 6 names
Same Starting Sound Finder
Names that begin with a similar phonetic sound: Eileen · Ida · Iris · View all Top 100 names
Rhymes With Irene Finder
Names that share similar ending sounds and rhymes: Susan · Karen · Helen · View all Top 100 names
Same Rhythm & Syllables Finder
Names with matching syllable stress and pronunciation rhythm: Michelle · Kathleen · Nicole · View all Top 100 names
Dictionary & Etymology of “Irene”
Dictionary Meaning of "Irene"Methodology
Eirene, the Greek goddess of peace, one of the Horae/Horæ; equivalent to the Roman goddess Pax
14 Irene, a main belt asteroid
A female given name from Ancient Greek, in regular use since the 19th century
Examples
- But lest I be thought too literall, give me leave to allegorize upon this Irene. Her name is a Greek name, Εἰρήνη, it signifies peace; we must not dote upon our Irene, our private peace, that the publique should suffer for the sake of it.
- "And I have such a horrible name. Think of it... Kate. Who would take Kate on a Moonlight Cruise...or out to the Minstrels at the point. If you ever do find me in the company of a strange young man, call me Irene. Promise me."
A city and town in South Dakota, United States
Translations
The name Irene has 48 translations, for example: in Spanish it is rendered as female given name, in Italian it is rendered as Asteroid, etc..
More Info
How to Spell Irene in ASL
- I
- r
- e
- n
- e
Comments on the name Irene
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