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Why parents love Irene- Irene Adler outsmarted Sherlock Holmes — the woman.
- Empress Irene ruled the Byzantine Empire alone.
- Goodnight, Irene is a folk-music standard.
- Three syllables with a peaceful, Greek sound: eye-REEN.
- The meaning peace is universally aspirational.
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The vibe of Irene
peaceGreek goddessSherlock HolmesAdlerthe womanByzantine EmpressGoodnight Ireneeirene
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Origin & history of Irene
Greek eirene (peace)
→ English Irene
1
Greek / Italian roots
Irene comes from the Greek eirene meaning peace. Irene was the Greek goddess of peace. Empress Irene was the first woman to rule the Byzantine Empire alone (797–802). Sherlock Holmes called Irene Adler the woman — the only person to outsmart him.
2
First recorded
Earliest known use: Greek goddess of peace; Empress Irene (c. 752–803).
3
Today
Irene remains a beloved choice, ranking #642 in the US. 356,354 babies have been named Irene since 1880.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, Oxford Dictionary of First Names, SSA data
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How popular is Irene?
1921
peak year
Irene hit its high-water mark in 1921, when it became one of the country's most popular names — #18 nationally, with 10,624 babies given the name that year. It first surfaced in U.S. records in 1880, roughly 41 years before its peak. Since the peak, the name has eased to around #642 today, averaging about 460 new babies per year. Irene's usage has held roughly steady recently. Across all years on record, approximately 356,354 American babies have carried this name.
Year-by-year registrations
1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
10,624
Babies named in peak year
(ranked #18)
(ranked #18)
460
Avg. per year
(last decade)
(last decade)
4,600
Total registrations
last 10 years
last 10 years
356,354
All-time total
(since 1880)
(since 1880)
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Numerology of Irene6
Life path number
The Nurturer
Nurturing, love and responsibility.
Irene's Life Path 9 is the humanitarian's number — peaceful humanitarianism. People named Irene tend to be peaceful, brilliant, and gifted at outsmarting everyone while keeping the peace.
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Outsmarts everyone peacefully✦
The woman who beat Holmes◈
Byzantine-Empress power◎
Greek peace goddess♡
Goodnight lullabyI9
R9
E5
N5
E5
Sum: 33 → Life path 6
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Personality of Irene❤️
Nurturing heart
They notice when someone is struggling before anyone else.
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Creates warmth
Their circle is warmer for their presence.
⚖️
Strong morals
They know what's right and stand by it.
🌸
Quietly selfless
They give and give, often without realising how much.
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Famous people named IreneClick any name to view their Wikipedia page.
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If you like Irene, you may also love◎
Names that sound like IreneIf you love Irene, you might love these names with a similar sound, rhythm or feel.
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Names that combine with IreneSibling pairings that share the timeless, classic energy of Irene.
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Middle names for IreneThe right middle name turns Irene into a complete story. Explore options for first-and-middle pairings, then last-name flow.
Want a personalised middle name for Irene? Try our dedicated generator with 1,000+ pairings.
♡ Generate middle name for Irene →✦
Numerology life path calculatorEnter any full name and date of birth to discover the life path number — a core numerological indicator of personality, purpose and destiny.
First name
Middle name (optional)
Last name
Date of birth
7
Life path number
How we calculated this
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