Irene
Borrowed from French Irène, from Ancient Greek Εἰρήνη (Eirḗnē, “peace”), name of a goddess of peace, of early Christian saints, and of an 8th-century Byzantine empress.
Every Irene since 1880 — 356,812 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Irene
Irene is uncommon for girls in the United States, ranked #651 in 2025 with 442 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 356,812 American babies have been named Irene. Its peak came in 1921, when 10,657 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1920s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Irene stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Irene year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 442 | #651 | — | — |
| 2024 | 465 | #635 | — | — |
| 2023 | 435 | #675 | 5 | #12,962 |
| 2022 | 448 | #661 | — | — |
| 2021 | 438 | #674 | — | — |
| 2020 | 472 | #620 | — | — |
| 2019 | 469 | #633 | — | — |
| 2018 | 466 | #639 | — | — |
| 2017 | 508 | #588 | — | — |
| 2016 | 444 | #659 | — | — |
| 2015 | 453 | #629 | — | — |
| 2014 | 432 | #663 | — | — |
| 2013 | 439 | #644 | — | — |
| 2012 | 437 | #652 | — | — |
| 2011 | 406 | #692 | — | — |
| 2010 | 411 | #695 | — | — |
| 2009 | 484 | #625 | — | — |
| 2008 | 483 | #638 | — | — |
| 2007 | 468 | #636 | — | — |
| 2006 | 496 | #588 | — | — |
| 2005 | 491 | #580 | — | — |
| 2004 | 531 | #536 | — | — |
| 2003 | 475 | #581 | — | — |
| 2002 | 546 | #504 | — | — |
| 2001 | 573 | #487 | — | — |
| 2000 | 606 | #459 | — | — |
| 1995 | 610 | #426 | — | — |
| 1990 | 686 | #385 | — | — |
| 1985 | 669 | #352 | 8 | #4,873 |
| 1980 | 850 | #291 | 9 | #4,283 |
| 1975 | 723 | #315 | — | — |
| 1970 | 1,072 | #275 | 5 | #5,034 |
| 1965 | 1,556 | #211 | — | — |
| 1960 | 2,035 | #187 | 8 | #3,199 |
| 1955 | 2,433 | #147 | 10 | #2,666 |
| 1950 | 3,825 | #92 | 14 | #2,069 |
| 1945 | 2,883 | #97 | 10 | #2,317 |
| 1940 | 3,394 | #73 | 29 | #1,263 |
| 1935 | 3,940 | #52 | 21 | #1,518 |
| 1930 | 6,464 | #33 | 38 | #1,145 |
| 1925 | 9,440 | #19 | 32 | #1,290 |
| 1920 | 10,072 | #17 | 24 | #1,569 |
| 1915 | 8,323 | #17 | 16 | #1,832 |
| 1910 | 3,281 | #21 | 12 | #956 |
| 1905 | 2,357 | #24 | 6 | #1,164 |
| 1900 | 2,264 | #31 | 9 | #940 |
| 1895 | 1,428 | #43 | 5 | #1,168 |
| 1890 | 893 | #60 | — | — |
| 1885 | 376 | #82 | — | — |
| 1880 | 204 | #102 | — | — |
Famous people named Irene
- Irene of Athens Politician · 752–803
- Irene Papas Actor · b. 1929
- Irene of Hungary Politician · 1088–1134
- Irene Angelina Companion · 1181–1208
- Irene Doukaina Companion · 1066–1138
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Irene mean?
Borrowed from French Irène, from Ancient Greek Εἰρήνη (Eirḗnē, “peace”), name of a goddess of peace, of early Christian saints, and of an 8th-century Byzantine empress.
How popular is the name Irene in 2025?
Irene ranked #651 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 442 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Irene?
356,812 babies have been named Irene in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Irene most popular?
Irene peaked in 1921, when 10,657 newborns received the name.
Is Irene a boy or girl name?
Irene is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Irene rising or falling?
Irene has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Irene?
Well-known people named Irene include Irene of Athens (politician), Irene Papas (actor), Irene of Hungary (politician).