Irene

Irene is a feminine given name that means "the peaceful one" or "the tranquil one." The name has its roots in the Ancient Greek Eirene (Εἰρήνη).

What does the name Irene mean?

The name Irene means "the peaceful one" or "the tranquil one" and comes from the Ancient Greek term eirēnē (εἰρήνη), which means "peace" and "harmony." It refers to Eirene, a goddess of peace in Greek mythology and daughter of Zeus. In Germany, Irene was a popular girl's name in the mid-20th century, but it has since become less frequently chosen. There are various variants of the name, including Airin (Scandinavian), Airine (Lithuanian), Arina (Russian), Ayrin, Eyrin (Irish), Ira (short form), Ireen (English), Iren (Hungarian), Irena (Slavic), Irina (Russian, Bulgarian), Irini (Greek), Irja (Finnish), Irka (Polish, Czech), Iryna (Belarusian, Ukrainian), and Iria (Spanish, Portuguese). The male form is Ireneus.

Where does the name Irene come from?

Irene is a feminine given name of Ancient Greek origin, meaning "the peaceful one" or "the tranquil one." The Ancient Greek term eirēnē (εἰρήνη) stands for "peace," "calm," and "harmony." The name is common in German, French, and Swiss languages.

How do you pronounce Irene?

The pronunciation of Irene is soft and consists of three to four syllables. In German, the name is typically pronounced as "I-re-ne" [iˈʁeːnə], with the middle syllable emphasized with a long "e." This open vowel sequence gives the name a harmonious sound. Irene conveys an elegant and timeless impression - soothing, melodious, and present.

When is the name day of Irene?

The name day for Irene is celebrated on the following days: January 22, February 21, April 1, May 5, August 9, and October 20.

Popularity

In Germany, the name Irene ranked mostly between the top 60 and top 90 from the 1880s to the early 1920s, making it a common name. In some years, it even approached the top 50. Its highest popularity was in the late 1920s to early 1930s, when it reached 38th place in 1929. Other notable rankings include 42nd place in 1927 and 49th place in 1924.

Nicknames & pet names

Eirini / Erena / Ira / Ireen / Irelia / Irenali / Irenchen / Ireni / Irenita / Irenli / Iri / Irinka / Renchen / Rene / Reni / Renilein / Renili / Renschi

Similar first names

Famous people

• Elise Irene Reynolds (cricketer from the USA)
• Germaine Helene Irene Lefebvre (French actress)
• Irene (member of a Korean group called 'Red Velvet')
• Irene Adler (character in Sherlock Holmes)
• Irene Aebi (jazz musician from Switzerland)
• Irene Aitoff (French pianist)
• Irene Baraka (YouTube star)
• Irene Below (German art historian)
• Irene Cara (American singer & actress, born Irene T. Escalera)
• Irene Curie (French physicist and chemist)
• Irene Curtoni (Italian alpine ski racer)
• Irene Dalby (swimmer from Norway)
• Irene Dalton (American actress)
• Irene E. Ryan (geologist from the USA)
• Irene Ekelund (sprinter from Sweden)
• Irene Epple (former German ski racer)
• Irene Escolar (actress from Spain)
• Irene Fischer (actress, e.g., in 'Lindenstraße')
• Irene Galter (actress from Italy)
• Irene Gammel (Canadian writer)