Aileen
Aileen was the 799th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 340 babies. Its best year was 1926, when it ranked 289th; the most babies were born in 2009 (685). Over the last ten years it has moved down 285 places. More babies were named Aileen in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Irish, French, Germanic
Say it eye-LEEN /aɪˈlin/
- Rank in 2025
- #799 girls, down 103 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 340girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2009685 babies
- Total since 1880
- 37,642babies recorded
What does the name Aileen mean?
Aileen is a variant spelling of Eileen, as Wiktionary and Wikipedia both note. Eileen is the English form of the Irish name Eibhlín, which goes back to Norman French Aveline, the same name as Evelyn. Aveline was built on a Germanic element of uncertain meaning, so no meaning is given. In the US, Aileen is also used by Spanish-speaking families.
Eibhlín (Irish, “Irish form of Aveline”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. A variant of Eileen; the meaning of the Germanic root of Aveline is not known.
Pronunciation: Usually pronounced like Eileen.
Related names: Eileen, Ayleen, Evelyn.
See also: Irish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Aileen', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Aileen', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Eileen', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Aileen popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 5 since 2011.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #799 | 340 |
| 2020 | #696 | 404 |
| 2010 | #468 | 645 |
| 2000 | #526 | 501 |
| 1990 | #855 | 230 |
| 1980 | #778 | 212 |
| 1970 | #669 | 238 |
| 1960 | #670 | 229 |
| 1950 | #668 | 160 |
| 1940 | #596 | 136 |
| 1930 | #361 | 343 |
| 1920 | #305 | 457 |
| 1910 | #357 | 123 |
| 1900 | #407 | 67 |
| 1890 | #759 | 13 |
| 1880 | #739 | 6 |
How popular is Aileen, counting every spelling?
Aileen is a spelling of Eileen, a name family that ranked #299 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #799 for Aileen on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,090 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eileen | 437 | #654 | 2,308 |
| Aileen | 340 | #799 | 1,919 |
| Ayleen | 313 | #863 | 1,550 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Aileen?
340 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Aileen (0.09 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Aileen born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 25 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Aileen.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Aileen?
About 25,500 people born in the US named Aileen are alive today, with a median age of 25; half are between 15 and 48. That makes Aileen mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Aileen by state
How common Aileen was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (2.5×), Texas (2.3×), Arizona (1.8×), Illinois (1.6×). In 25 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Aileen: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Aileen, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Aileen · Sibling names for Aileen
Questions about the name Aileen
What does Aileen mean?
The origin of Aileen is uncertain: a variant of Eileen; the meaning of the Germanic root of Aveline is not known.
How popular is the name Aileen?
Aileen was the 799th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 340 babies. Its best year was 1926, when it ranked 289th; the most babies were born in 2009 (685). Over the last ten years it has moved down 285 places. More babies were named Aileen in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Aileen a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Aileen in the US.
Where is Aileen most popular?
In 2021–2025, Aileen was most common in California (0.60 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and Arizona.