Irene is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Irene means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Irene across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Irene has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Irene is a girl name of Greek origin meaning “peace”. the Greek goddess personifying peace.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 356,812 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 579 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 386 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 1,808 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 166 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 Irene per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1921 (10,657/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1974 (98/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1974 (58/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2024 (37/yr).
Irene has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1921, when it ranked #36 nationally (given to 10,657 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1920s.
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