Irene

Did you know?

A few things about Irene you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Irene

Irene Dunne

American actress and singer (1898–1990)

Choose Irene and your child shares a first name with Irene Dunne, an American actress and singer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Irene, like who?” Irene Dunne's Wikipedia article is available in 52 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Irene Dunne on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 3,636 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Irene, 442 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Irene would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryIrene has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Irenes, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1919, when it ranked #16. Today it's #651, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🍂TrendIrene has slipped 33 places over the last five years and now sits at #651. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedIrene is most popular in Nebraska, where it ranks #335, followed by California (#372) and Connecticut (#393). It's in the top 1,000 in 25 states.
• 💬MeaningIn Greek, Irene means “peace”.

About the name Irene

Irene is a girl name meaning “peace”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with I and ending in “-ene”. US birth records list Irene for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1919, when it ranked #16 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #651, with 442 babies.