Irena: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#5,305

among girls · ↓1,065 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Irena · -29% vs 2024

How common

1 in 66,969

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2024

34 babies

All-time total

2,186

#4,440 all-time among girls

First recorded

1880

in Social Security records

Irena popularity over time

2,186 babies have been named Irena since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	50	5	–	#580
1890s	84	8	+68%	#816
1900s	104	10	+24%	#1,039
1910s	181	18	+74%	#1,357
1920s	146	15	-19%	#1,775
1930s	96	10	-34%	#2,359
1940s	91	9	-5%	#2,473
1950s	126	13	+38%	#2,737
1960s	137	14	+9%	#3,001
1970s	172	17	+26%	#3,195
1980s	167	17	-3%	#3,469
1990s	212	21	+27%	#3,809
2000s	183	18	-14%	#5,377
2010s	276	28	+51%	#4,272
2020s (to 2025)	161	27	-3%	#4,240

Where Irena is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	24	0.01	outside top 500
2027	23	0.01	outside top 500
2028	23	0.01	outside top 500
2029	23	0.01	outside top 500
2030	23	0.01	outside top 500

The story of Irena

Irena is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #5,305 in 2025 with 24 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 2,186 American babies have been named Irena. Its peak came in 2024, when 34 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Irena stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Irena?

The median living Irena is about 31 years old; half are between 13 and 53. An estimated 1,500 people named Irena are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Irena year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	24	#5,305
2024	34	#4,240
2023	22	#5,631
2022	23	#5,534
2021	27	#4,894
2020	31	#4,392
2019	26	#5,084
2018	33	#4,272
2017	30	#4,613
2016	30	#4,669
2015	31	#4,529
2014	23	#5,692
2013	24	#5,550
2012	29	#4,886
2011	27	#5,119
2010	23	#5,859
2009	18	#7,168
2008	18	#7,186
2007	16	#7,869
2006	14	#8,426
2005	21	#5,890
2004	20	#6,067
2003	18	#6,410
2002	21	#5,539
2001	16	#6,745
2000	21	#5,377
1995	20	#4,909
1990	11	#7,497
1985	16	#4,711
1980	14	#5,069
1975	22	#3,195
1970	20	#3,246
1965	17	#3,092
1960	10	#4,288
1955	17	#2,766
1950	8	#4,101
1945	6	#4,240
1940	8	#3,334
1935	13	#2,359
1930	12	#2,601
1925	14	#2,545
1920	23	#1,775
1915	18	#1,838
1910	9	#1,692
1905	11	#1,209
1900	11	#1,196
1895	–	–
1890	10	#900
1885	7	#873
1880	8	#651

Famous people named Irena

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Irena Sendler Polish humanitarian and resistance fighter (1910–2008) Contemporary
2 Irena Szewińska Polish sprinter (1946–2018) Contemporary
3 Irena Degutienė Lithuanian politician b. 1949 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Irena, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Irena?

The median living Irena is about 31 years old. Half of all living Irenas are between 13 and 53 years old.

How many people named Irena are alive today?

An estimated 1,500 people named Irena are alive in the United States, based on 2,186 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Irena mean?

Irena is a traditionally European feminine given name.Irena Adamowicz (1910–1973), Polish resistance member during World War II given the honor Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem Irena Andriukaitienė, Lithuanian politician

How popular is the name Irena in 2025?

Irena ranked #5,305 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 24 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Irena?

2,186 babies have been named Irena in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Irena most popular?

Irena peaked in 2024, when 34 newborns received the name.

Is Irena a boy or girl name?

Irena is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Irena rising or falling?

Irena has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Irena become more popular?

Irena looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 23 girls named Irena in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Irena?

Well-known people named Irena include Irena Sendler (social activist), Irena Szewińska (athlete), Irena Degutienė (politician).

Names like Irena

Names that sound and feel close to Irena: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Irena with similar names → More names starting with I →