Irene

There once was a Greek goddess named Irene. She represented peace and was known for winning battles against Sparta. Unlike most goddess names, Irene entered use as a given name immediately. 

Irene was not just the goddess of peace. The name came from the Greek "eirene", which itself means "peace." The name went on to associate itself with several saints. One of them, St. Irene of Rome, healed St. Sebastian in the third century. The Byzantine Empress Irene of Athens came along in the eighth century. 

After the Byzantine Empress's rule, Irene became common among Eastern Christians. However, it was not common among English-speakers until the nineteenth century. Irene ranked in the English top 100 from the 1900s to the 1950s. It subsequently ranked in the American top 100 from 1880s to the 1940s. American musician Huddie Ledbetter recorded the lullaby "Goodnight, Irene" at the end of the name's run.

Irene has slowly declined until 2010. Since then, the name ranked steadily in the 600s. Irene was never out of the top 700 and had no sharp troughs. Thus, the name is truly timeless. Irene also has seen use in several foreign languages, such as French and Spanish, along with having several international variants. 

Regal, saintly, and international Irene will appeal to parents after a name that's just as classic as Mary and Sarah, but nowhere near as plain. Irene's mythological heritage and lullaby association only makes this classic more interesting. Irene's early twentieth-century peak makes it prime for revival, too.

NICKNAMES:

Irie

VARIANTS:

Irena

STYLES:

Formal, Greek, Mythological, Timeless

SISTERS:

Alice, Ruth, Judith, Clara, Nancy, Louise, Helen, Esther

BROTHERS:

Henry, Paul, Stanley, Isaac, Albert, Roger, Frank, Walter

ALTERNATIVES:

Adele, Clarice, Estelle, Ida, Inez, Ione, Pauline, Serene

FURTHER RESOURCES:

"Irene." Names, Behind the Name, 5 Apr. 2022, https://www.behindthename.com/name/irene. Accessed 31 May 2023. 

"Irene." Names, Nameberry, 2023, https://nameberry.com/babyname/irene. Accessed 31 May 2023.

What do you think about Irene?