Girl name · Greek
Irene
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: peace, tranquilityIrene is a girl's name that comes from Greek and means "peace, tranquility". It is used in English, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Greek and more.
- Meaning
- Peace, tranquility
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #651 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Irene
As a girl's name, Irene comes from Greek and means "peace, tranquility". It is used in English, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Greek and French. In French it is spelled Irène.
In French, say ee-REN. In Italian, say ee-REH-neh. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Irene on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Irene on 6 lists.
“Peace, tranquility; Greek. Say ee-REN”
From French girl names, french saints' names for girls
“Greek for peace, calm and steady”
From Girl dog names, vintage human names for girl dogs
“Peace; Greek Eirene, goddess of peace”
From Goddess names, greek goddess names
“Peace, tranquility; Greek. Say ee-REH-neh”
From Italian girl names, classic Italian girl names
“Peace; Greek. Say ee-REH-neh”
From Spanish girl names, classic female Spanish names
“Peace, tranquility; Greek. Greek goddess of peace”
From Vintage girl names, old fashioned girl names from the 1900s to 1920s
How popular is Irene?
- US rank in 2025
- #651
- 442 babies, 275 per million girls
- Best rank
- #16 in 1918
- Most babies: 10,624 in 1921
- Babies since 1880
- At least 355,462
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 3,049 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 6,131 per million |
| 1900s | 8,080 per million |
| 1910s | 8,456 per million |
| 1920s | 7,767 per million |
| 1930s | 4,168 per million |
| 1940s | 2,197 per million |
| 1950s | 1,403 per million |
| 1960s | 846 per million |
| 1970s | 536 per million |
| 1980s | 414 per million |
| 1990s | 332 per million |
| 2000s | 279 per million |
| 2010s | 255 per million |
| 2020s | 278 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #659 | #588 | #639 | #633 | #620 | #674 | #661 | #675 | #635 | #651 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Irene
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- EiriniPeace, tranquility (Greek, girl)
- IriniPeace (Greek, girl)
Names spelled like Irene
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- IrenaPeace, from Greek Eirene (Greek, girl)
- IoneViolet flower (Greek, girl)
- İremIram, a city in the Quran (Arabic, girl)
- IretiHope (Yoruba, unisex)
- IrinaPeace, from Greek Eirene (Greek, girl)
- IveteYew (Germanic, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- AxelMy father is peace (Hebrew, boy)
- FridaPeace; in Old Norse, beloved (Germanic and Old Norse, girl)
- MiraPeace, from Slavic Mir- names; in Sanskrit, sea (Slavic, girl)
- CasimirDestroyer of peace (Slavic, boy)
- EirenePeace (Greek, girl)
- OliveTree of peace (Latin, girl)
- SalomePeace (Hebrew, girl)
- SolomonPeace (Hebrew, boy)
- AbdulsalamServant of Peace (Arabic, boy)
- AbsalomFather is peace (Hebrew, boy)
Middle names for Irene
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- DahliaFlower named for botanist Anders Dahl (Swedish, girl)
- ElowenElm tree (Cornish, girl)
- FelicityHappiness, good fortune (Latin, girl)
- GabrielleGod is my strength (Hebrew, girl)
- JosephineHe will add (Hebrew, girl)
- JuniperEvergreen shrub (Latin, girl)
- NaomiPleasantness, sweetness (Hebrew, girl)
- VictoriaVictory, triumph (Latin, girl)
More girl names from Greek
- AlexandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- IrisA rainbow (Greek, girl)
- SofiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- SophieWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- ZoeLife, living (Greek, girl)
- AnastasiaResurrection, rising again (Greek, girl)
- ChristinaFollower of Christ (Greek, girl)
- NicoleVictory of the people (Greek, girl)
- PetraRock, stone (Greek, girl)
Irene: common questions
What does the name Irene mean?
Irene comes from Greek and means "peace, tranquility".
Is Irene a boy or girl name?
Irene is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Irene come from?
Irene comes from Greek and means "peace, tranquility". Today it is used in English, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Greek.
How popular is the name Irene?
Irene ranked #651 in the US in 2025, with 442 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Irene?
Forms of Irene with the same meaning and origin include Eirini (Greek) and Irini (Arabic).
What middle names go with Irene?
Middle names that flow well with Irene include Dahlia, Elowen, Felicity, Gabrielle and Josephine. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.