Irena

Q: What does Irena mean?

Irena is a girls' name of Greek origin, meaning “peace”, Slavic form of Irene. Irena Sendler, a Polish social worker, rescued about 2,500 Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto.

Gender: Girl
Say it: ih-RAY-na
Origin: Greek
UK rank, 2025: #4,935 for girls
US rank, 2025: #5,237 for girls

Irena is a girls' name of Greek origin, meaning “peace”. In 2025 it ranked 4,935th for girls in the UK (4 babies) and 5,237th for girls in the US (24 babies).

What does Irena mean?

Greek: Slavic form of Irene

“peace”

Irena Sendler, a Polish social worker, rescued about 2,500 Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto.

Is Irena a girl's or a boy's name?

Irena is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 4 girls in the UK and 24 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.

How popular is Irena in the UK?

Rank in 2025: 4,935th among girls
Babies in 2025: 4 about 1 in 70,000 girls
Five-year trend: Steady down 24% in five years
Same name in a class: under 1% chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 4 girls in the UK were named Irena, making it the 4,935th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 3,630th. Its busiest year was 2016, with 13 girls.

Half of all the girls named Irena in the UK since 1996 were born between 2010 and 2020, the years shaded on the chart below.

Among girls in 2025, it was 4,866th in England and Wales.

2000Busiest: 13 in 20162025

Irena in the UK, year by year

Year	Girls	Rank
2025	4	#4,935
2024	0	–
2023	9	#2,841
2022	9	#2,805
2021	6	#3,697
2020	6	#3,630
2019	3	#5,804
2018	8	#3,068
2017	10	#2,652
2016	13	#2,224
2015	0	–
2014	3	#5,920
2013	6	#3,719
2012	4	#5,058
2011	4	#4,980
2010	7	#3,308
2009	3	#5,801
2008	0	–
2007	3	#5,415
2006	3	#5,259
2005	1	#6,340
2004	1	#6,173
2003	1	#5,865
2002	4	#3,556
2001	0	–
2000	7	#2,304

How popular is Irena in the US?

Rank in 2025: 5,237th among girls
Babies in 2025: 24 about 1 in 67,000 girls
Five-year trend: Steady down 11% in five years
Same name in a class: under 1% chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 24 girls in the US were named Irena, making it the 5,237th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 4,356th. Its busiest year was 2024, with 34 girls.

Half of all the girls named Irena in the US since 1880 were born between 1928 and 2003, the years shaded on the chart below.

1880Busiest: 34 in 20242025

Irena in the US, year by year

Year	Girls	Rank
2025	24	#5,237
2024	34	#4,206
2023	22	#5,544
2022	23	#5,462
2021	27	#4,829
2020	31	#4,356
2019	26	#5,039
2018	33	#4,236
2017	30	#4,574
2016	30	#4,631
2015	31	#4,487
2014	23	#5,623
2013	24	#5,484
2012	29	#4,834
2011	27	#5,061
2010	23	#5,769
2009	18	#7,063
2008	18	#7,069
2007	16	#7,729
2006	14	#8,234
2005	21	#5,795
2004	20	#5,965
2003	18	#6,294
2002	21	#5,440
2001	16	#6,614
2000	21	#5,307
1999	21	#5,033
1998	23	#4,633
1997	24	#4,367
1996	21	#4,734
1995	20	#4,841
1994	19	#5,011
1993	25	#4,095
1992	28	#3,767
1991	20	#4,802
1990	11	#7,297
1989	11	#6,949
1988	18	#4,648
1987	22	#3,854
1986	16	#4,721
1985	16	#4,633
1984	15	#4,736
1983	23	#3,430
1982	22	#3,646
1981	10	#6,321
1980	14	#4,977
1979	17	#4,230
1978	10	#5,957
1977	14	#4,651
1976	16	#3,961
1975	22	#3,155
1974	16	#3,862
1973	20	#3,232
1972	17	#3,543
1971	20	#3,266
1970	20	#3,208
1969	15	#3,618
1968	17	#3,168
1967	18	#2,963
1966	13	#3,557
1965	17	#3,049
1964	12	#3,878
1963	12	#3,800
1962	10	#4,262
1961	13	#3,607
1960	10	#4,183
1959	14	#3,253
1958	14	#3,231
1957	13	#3,308
1956	15	#3,047
1955	17	#2,724
1954	10	#3,717
1953	16	#2,698
1952	5	#5,561
1951	14	#2,809
1950	8	#3,960
1949	11	#3,175
1948	6	#4,649
1947	9	#3,704
1946	12	#2,879
1945	6	#4,023
1944	12	#2,624
1943	7	#3,800
1942	14	#2,415
1941	6	#3,952
1940	8	#3,206
1939	5	#4,248
1938	8	#3,179
1937	12	#2,447
1936	9	#2,855
1935	13	#2,304
1934	9	#2,922
1933	8	#3,108
1932	11	#2,642
1931	9	#2,970
1930	12	#2,551
1929	18	#1,952
1928	17	#2,093
1927	13	#2,551
1926	12	#2,707
1925	14	#2,488
1924	16	#2,307
1923	12	#2,732
1922	12	#2,778
1921	9	#3,399
1920	23	#1,751
1919	33	#1,348
1918	25	#1,600
1917	25	#1,507
1916	21	#1,689
1915	18	#1,799
1914	20	#1,444
1913	12	#1,766
1912	11	#1,718
1911	7	#1,956
1910	9	#1,634
1909	13	#1,152
1908	11	#1,261
1907	6	#1,820
1906	12	#1,101
1905	11	#1,162
1904	9	#1,250
1903	9	#1,204
1902	11	#1,075
1901	11	#1,007
1900	11	#1,170
1899	11	#983
1898	10	#1,098
1897	9	#1,094
1896	8	#1,213
1895	0	–
1894	5	#1,484
1893	10	#955
1892	9	#1,017
1891	12	#796
1890	10	#872
1889	7	#1,024
1888	0	–
1887	9	#788
1886	0	–
1885	7	#842
1884	0	–
1883	8	#692
1882	11	#560
1881	0	–
1880	8	#628

Names like Irena

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Cora, Matilda, Eliza, Ada, Clara, Sophia, Nora, Eva, Ophelia, Isabella, Rosa, Lola

Names related to Irena

Irene, Irina, Arena, Aireona, Eriona, Ireanna

More Greek names

Luca, Theodore, George, Theo, Lucas, Sofia, Alexander, Sebastian, Penelope, Phoebe, Margot, Luke, Chloe, Sophie, Zoe, Iris

Every Greek name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Irena: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/irena, updated 20 October 2026.