Given name
Irena
“peace”
Irena is used as a given name. Irena is connected with Irene.
Meaning & origin
Where it comes from
Irena is a Latinate form of Irene. An origin associated with Irene is Greek.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
Irena is used as a form of Irene.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Irena is a Latinate form of Irene. The history of Irene gives this family its wider story. In mythological stories, Irene is associated with the goddess of peace.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Irena through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,186
- 0 boys · 2,186 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 34 babies
- 2025
- 24
- #5,305 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −13%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 24 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 5,305 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 13.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 6,054 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.
Irena’s family of names
In Slovak usage, Irena has a diminutive in Ira. Irena shares a linguistic root with Irene. In Czech usage, Irena has a conventional equivalent in the Spanish form Paz.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Irena has relatives in 21 languages.
24 related names in 21 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Iradiminutive · Slovene, Slovak
- Irenevariant · English, German
- Irennalikely variant
- Írenavariant · Icelandic
- Irenkadiminutive · Polish, Czech
- Irkadiminutive · Polish
- Irciadiminutive · Polish
- Ikadiminutive · Slovak
Show 1 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 5
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 22
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Irena
- Irena SendlerPolish resistance fighter and Holocaust rescuer (1910-2008)
- Irena SzewińskaPolish sprinter and sports official (1946–2018)
- Irena VeisaitėLithuanian academic (1928-2020)
- Joanna ChmielewskaPolish designer and writer (1932–2013)
- Irena DegutienėLithuanian politician (born 1949)
- Irena KwiatkowskaPolish actress (1912-2011)
- Irena SzydłowskaPolish archer (1928-1983)
- Irena AndersPolish stage actress and singer (1920–2010)
- Irena KrzywickaPolish feminist1899–1994
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Irena, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Inna
“an illuminated man” · “having the beauty of the god Ing”
>99% girls
Veena
>99% girls
Isadora
“a gift from the goddess Isis”
>99% girls
Thena
“wise”
>99% girls
Athena
Athena is a feminine given name from Middle English, ultimately from Ancient Greek. It is used in English and Tagalog.
>99% girls
Zenaida
Zenaida is a feminine given name from Spanish. It is used in English, Spanish, and Tagalog.
>99% girls
Auria
>99% girls
Mera
Mera is a surname. It is used in Galician.
>99% girls