Meaning and history
Irène comes from Greek Eirene, derived from a word meaning "peace." Eirene was the Greek goddess who personified peace and one of the Horai, while several early Christian saints also bore the name. It was common in the Byzantine Empire, notably belonging to an 8th-century empress who first governed as regent for her son, later had him killed, and became the first woman to rule the empire alone. Traditionally more popular among Eastern Christians, the name did not enter regular English-language use until the 19th century.
20062006: 496 births, rank #588
2007: 468 births, rank #635
2008: 483 births, rank #638
2009: 484 births, rank #624
2010: 411 births, rank #695
20112011: 406 births, rank #692
2012: 437 births, rank #651
2013: 439 births, rank #643
2014: 432 births, rank #663
2015: 453 births, rank #629
20162016: 444 births, rank #658
2017: 508 births, rank #588
2018: 466 births, rank #639
2019: 469 births, rank #633
2020: 472 births, rank #618
20212021: 438 births, rank #674
2022: 448 births, rank #661
2023: 435 births, rank #675
2024: 465 births, rank #635
20252025: 442 births, rank #651
Irene moved from #635 to #651 for girls between 2024 and 2025. Its highest annual birth count came in 1921, with 10,624 births.