Aileen is a girl name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Aileen means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Aileen across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Aileen has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Aileen is a girl name of Greek, Irish origin meaning “light or desired”. An Irish and Scottish form of Eileen or Helen.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 37,642 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 218 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 993 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 37 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 2,499 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Aileen per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 2009 (685/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1976 (103/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1974 (87/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (12/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (7/yr).
Aileen has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2009, when it ranked #877 nationally (given to 693 babies that year).
Ailany · Alan · Ellen · Allen · Eileen · Allan · Ailani · Ilene
Not sure if it's the one? The best way to know is to see if your partner loves it too. Swipe baby names with your partner and match on the ones you both ❤️, free, no account needed to start.
Find your name together →