The first name Eileen
A girl’s name from Irish meaning “radiance”, “beauty”.
Pronounced /aɪˈliːn/ 2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Irish origin
Eileen means “radiance”, “beauty” in Irish.
From Anglicized forms of Irish Eibhlín, Eilín or Aibhilín in Middle English and Modern English, all cognates of Evelyn from Old French Aveline. Sometimes also used for the Irish name Éibhleann, possibly from Old Irish oíph (“radiance, beauty”).
More names that mean beauty.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 44 girls were named Eileen, making it the 816th most popular girls’ name.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Eileen with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Eileen at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 437 girls born in the United States were named Eileen, the 654th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1947, when 4,251 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Aileen
- Eyleen
Famous people named Eileen
43 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Eileen CollinsAstronaut and United States Air Force pilot, born 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 actress, born 1934
- Eileen DavidsonAmerican actress, born 1959
- Eileen RyanAmerican actress (1927–2022)
- Eileen EssellEnglish actress (1922–2015)
- Eileen AgarBritish-Argentinian painter, photographer (1899–1991)
- Eileen Bennett WhittingstallBritish tennis player, 1907–1979
- Eileen SedgwickAmerican actress (1898–1991)
More Irish girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Eileen mean?
- Eileen means “radiance”, “beauty” in Irish.
- What is the origin of the name Eileen?
- From Anglicized forms of Irish Eibhlín, Eilín or Aibhilín in Middle English and Modern English, all cognates of Evelyn from Old French Aveline. Sometimes also used for the Irish name Éibhleann, possibly from Old Irish oíph (“radiance, beauty”).
- How popular is the name Eileen?
- In 2025, 44 girls born in England and Wales were named Eileen, ranking 816th.
- Is Eileen a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 190,020 US babies named Eileen since 1880 were girls.
- When was Eileen most popular?
- 1947 in the United States, when 4,251 babies were named Eileen, its highest rank at 91st.
- How do you pronounce Eileen?
- Eileen is /aɪˈliːn/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Eileen?
- Aileen and Eyleen.