Irena
How to say it: ih-REE-nuh · /ɪˈriːnə/
From Greek Eirene, 'peace' - form of Irene widely used in Slavic and Central Europe.
Irena was the 3,963rd most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 24 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1880s, its births are down about 19% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #4,340 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #3,963 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 24 |
| Share of births | 1 in 138,139 |
| Peak decade | 1880s |
| Change over 10 years | −19% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #4,340 |
| In France, 2025 | #1,735 among girls’ names, 10 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Irena peaked in the 1880s, nearly vanished by the 1940s, and has come back.
What goes with it
Nicknames
- Ira
- Rena
Honouring a Irena in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Irena is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish.
In France: #1,735 for girls in 2025.
Famous people named Irena
- Irena Sendler (1910–2008)Polish resistance fighter and Holocaust rescuer
- Irena Szewińska (1946–2018)Polish sprinter and sports official
- Irena Degutienė (born 1949)Lithuanian politician
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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