Irene
Irene, sometimes written Irini, is derived from εἰρήνη, the Greek word for "peace". Eirene was the Greek goddess of peace and of the spring season.
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Meaning & Origin of Irene
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Irene, sometimes written Irini, is derived from εἰρήνη, the Greek word for "peace". Eirene was the Greek goddess of peace and of the spring season.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Italian
- Spanish
- Portuguese
- Swedish
- Norwegian
- Danish
- Finnish
- German
- Dutch
- Ancient Greek
- Greek Mythology
- French
The Story of Irene
Irene first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 204 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1921: 10,624 births, good for #18 nationwide. About 26% of every Irene on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Irene ranks #659 for baby girls with 448 births, holding steady (-5%). All told, over 356K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Irene
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Irene. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Notable people named Irene
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Irene, baptismal name of Tzitzak (died 750), wife of Byzantine Emperor Constantine V
- Irene of Athens (c. 752 – 803), wife of Byzantine Emperor Leo IV and empress regnant, 797–802
- Irene of Hungary (1088–1134), empress consort of John II Komnenos of the Byzantine Empire
- Irene Angelina (fl. late 1100s)
- Irene Choumnaina (1291 – c. 1355 )
- Irene Palaiologina (fl. 1310), illegitimate daughter of Andronikos II Palaiologos , wife of John II Doukas of Epirus
- Irene Shpata (14th century), Albanian Princess of Arta and Despotess consort of Epirus
- Irene Dushmani (15th century), Albanian Princess of Zadrima and Pult
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Irene
Phonetically similar names — useful when Irene is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Irene
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About the name Irene
Irene is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 356K births in the dataset. Irene's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #16. Use the chart and map above to compare Irene's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1921 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "I" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.