Irena
A feminine name of Slavic origin meaning "peaceful" or "calm".
Name Census estimates that about 1,373 living Americans carry the first name Irena. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Irena today is around 34 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Irena births was 2024 (34 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Irena. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
1.4K
~ 1 in 249,639 Americans
Peak year
2024
34 babies that year
Average age
34
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,226
Tracked since 1880
Popularity
Irena: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Irena from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 276 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Irena remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Irena by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Irena during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Irenas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, New York, Maryland recorded the most babies named Irena, while New Jersey, Maryland, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 40 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Irena
The given name Irena has its origins in the Greek language and is derived from the word "eirene," which means peace. It is believed to have first appeared in use around the 5th century BC, during the Classical period of Ancient Greece.
Irena was a popular name among the ancient Greeks, who valued the concept of peace and harmony. The name was sometimes associated with the Greek goddess of peace, Eirene, who was depicted as a beautiful young woman carrying a cornucopia and an olive branch, symbolizing prosperity and peace.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Irena can be found in Aristophanes' ancient Greek comedy "Peace," written in 421 BC. In this play, the character of Peace is personified as a woman named Eirene, highlighting the cultural significance of the name during that time.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Irena. One of the most famous was Irena Sendler (1910-2008), a Polish social worker who smuggled thousands of Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II, risking her life to save them from the Holocaust.
Another remarkable figure was Irena Jasiewicz (1900-1987), a Polish artist and sculptor known for her contributions to the Art Deco movement. Her works adorned many public spaces and buildings in pre-war Warsaw.
In the literary world, Irena Krzywicka (1888-1976) was a renowned Polish writer, feminist, and social activist who advocated for women's rights and education during the early 20th century.
Irena Dubiská (1923-2005) was a Slovak writer and translator who played a significant role in promoting Slovak literature internationally. She translated works by renowned authors such as Milan Kundera and Bohumil Hrabal into Slovak.
Irena Sedlecká (1928-2020) was a Czech singer and actress who became a beloved figure in Czechoslovak popular culture during the mid-20th century. She performed in numerous films, theater productions, and television shows, captivating audiences with her talent and charm.
People
Irena + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Irena as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Irena: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Irena?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,373 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Irena going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 249,639 US residents.
Is Irena a common name?
We classify Irena as "Rare". It ranks above 91.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,162 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Irena most popular?
The single biggest year for Irena was 2024, when 34 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Irena is about 34 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Irena a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Irena in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.