Given name

Eilean

“a birdlike woman”

Eilean is a variant of Eileen. In Gaelic use, Eileen carries the interpretation “a birdlike woman.”

Meaning & origin

What it means

Eilean is a variant of Eileen. In Gaelic use, Eileen carries the interpretation “a birdlike woman.”

Explained through its name family

The story

Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1923. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.

From dated birth records

Eilean through the years

Babies since 1880
24
0 boys · 24 girls
Most popular year
1932
7 babies
2025
0
Outside the ranked list
2021–25 vs 2016–20
—
Too few births to compare
0246819401960198020002025Highest share 19320.0
Eilean in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1923–2025, per million girls born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

By the numbers

The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 6 in 1958. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 7 in 1932.

From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.

Eilean’s family of names

Eilean has a related form in Eileen.

Walk Eilean’s family in the name graph

EileanEileenEillean

The ring: nicknames and forms.

Hover or tab through the constellation to see how each name is related. Bigger dots are names more people in the U.S. share.

Nicknames & forms 2

Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.

Similar names

If you love Eilean, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

Old-fashioned

Arletta

“an oath; a pledge”

15Very rareRising fast

>99% girls

Nature

Opaline

Opaline is a variant of Opal. One Sanskrit interpretation is “a treasured jewel; resembling the iridescent gemstone.”

17Very rare

>99% girls

German

Edda

“suffering strife during war”

15Very rareRising

>99% girls

 

Aletta

“small and winged”

23RareRising

>99% girls

 

Onalee

14Very rareEasing

>99% girls

Old-fashioned

Velia

“from Velia”

17Very rareRising fast

>99% girls

Old-fashioned

Arlyn

“a solemn, binding promise” · “an oath; a pledge”

32RareSteady

24% boys · 76% girls

Old-fashioned

Beverlee

“from the beaver's stream”

14Very rare

>99% girls

Sibling ideas

Names that share Eilean’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Eilean

A sister for Eilean