Given name
Eileen
“a birdlike woman”·“a birdlike man”
Eileen is a form of Evelyn. Interpretations include “a birdlike woman” (German) and “a birdlike man” (German). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Gaelic use, Eileen carries the interpretation “a birdlike woman.” Eileen is a form of Evelyn. Interpretations include “a birdlike woman” (German) and “a birdlike man” (German). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
Eileen is a form of Evelyn. A possible origin is English, although the derivation remains uncertain.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
Eileen is used as a form of Evelyn.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1882. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Eileen through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 190,020
- 406 boys · 189,614 girls
- Most popular year
- 1947
- 4,267 babies
- 2025
- 437
- #654 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +12%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 437 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 654 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 11.8% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 4,251 in 1947. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (80). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 119,999 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Eileen’s family of names
In English usage, Eileen shares an earlier linguistic root with Evelyn. Eileen has an alternative spelling in Aileen. Eileen is a form of Evelyn.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Eileen has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its Irish roots to each of them.
Irishwhere Eileen comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 18
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 10
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Evelyndoublet · English
- Avelinaequivalent
- Ellinaequivalent
- Eilenequivalent
- Eileenaequivalent
- Aibhilinoriginal
- Eibhlinoriginal
- Aibhilínequivalent
Show 2 moreShow fewer
See also 3
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Eileen
- Eileen CollinsAstronaut and United States Air Force pilotborn 1956
- Eileen GuAmerican-born Chinese freestyle skier (born 2003)
- Eileen ChangChinese-born American essayist, novelist, and screenwriter (1920–1995)
- Eileen HeckartAmerican actress (1919–2001)
- Eileen BrennanAmerican actress and singer (1932–2013)
- Eileen AtkinsBritish actressborn 1934
- Eileen GrayIrish architect and designer (1878–1976)
- Patricia MorisonAmerican stage and film actress (1915-2018)
- Eileen DavidsonAmerican actressborn 1959
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Eileen, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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