Eileen
Eileen was the 654th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 437 babies. Its best year was 1943, when it ranked 68th; the most babies were born in 1947 (4,251). Over the last ten years it has moved up 44 places. More babies were named Eileen in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Irish, French, Germanic
Say it eye-LEEN /aɪˈlin/
- Rank in 2025
- #654 girls, up 47 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 437girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19474,251 babies
- Total since 1880
- 190,020babies recorded
What does the name Eileen mean?
Eileen is the English form of the Irish name Eibhlín. Wiktionary and Wikipedia trace Eibhlín to the Norman French name Aveline, the same name that became Evelyn in English. Aveline was a pet form built on a Germanic element, avi-, whose meaning is uncertain; Wikipedia mentions "desire" as a possibility. Wiktionary adds that Eileen has also been used for the Irish name Éibhleann, perhaps from Old Irish oíph, "radiance, beauty". Aileen and Ayleen are variant spellings.
Eibhlín (Irish, “Irish form of Aveline”)Aveline (Old French, “pet form of a Germanic name in avi-”)oíph (Old Irish, “radiance, beauty (for Éibhleann)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Eileen is clearly the Irish Eibhlín, but the meaning of the Germanic element behind Aveline is not known.
Pronunciation: The first syllable is 'eye', not 'ay' or 'ee'.
Related names: Aileen, Ayleen, Evelyn, Eveline.
See also: Irish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Eileen', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Eileen', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Evelyn (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Nicknames for Eileen
The usual nicknames for Eileen are Eily.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eily · Irish pet form | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Eileens go by each one.
Eileen popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 406 since 1917.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #654 | 437 |
| 2020 | #701 | 401 |
| 2010 | #838 | 321 |
| 2000 | #625 | 402 |
| 1990 | #461 | 529 |
| 1980 | #377 | 613 |
| 1970 | #245 | 1,282 |
| 1960 | #130 | 3,496 |
| 1950 | #91 | 3,883 |
| 1940 | #125 | 2,034 |
| 1930 | #110 | 2,378 |
| 1920 | #100 | 2,718 |
| 1910 | #240 | 258 |
| 1900 | #367 | 85 |
| 1890 | #700 | 15 |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Eileen, counting every spelling?
Eileen is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #299 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #654 for Eileen 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 Eileen?
437 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Eileen (0.12 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Eileen 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 19 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Eileen.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Eileen?
About 102,700 people born in the US named Eileen are alive today, with a median age of 67; half are between 55 and 76. That makes Eileen a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Eileen by state
How common Eileen was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New York (1.8×), California (1.8×), New Jersey (1.7×). In 18 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 Eileen: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Eileen, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Eileen · Sibling names for Eileen
Questions about the name Eileen
What does Eileen mean?
The origin of Eileen is uncertain: Eileen is clearly the Irish Eibhlín, but the meaning of the Germanic element behind Aveline is not known.
How popular is the name Eileen?
Eileen was the 654th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 437 babies. Its best year was 1943, when it ranked 68th; the most babies were born in 1947 (4,251). Over the last ten years it has moved up 44 places. More babies were named Eileen in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Eileen a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Eileen in the US.
Where is Eileen most popular?
In 2021–2025, Eileen was most common in New York (0.52 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and New Jersey.