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[Opinions] Irene
Irene's post in the lounge got me thinking about Irene. I like this name a lot but I always forget to think about it.
1. Gosh it's pretty to look at!
2. I really like the pronunciations of all the different languages I can think of it in, including English: there is something so attractive about those two long vowels next to each other
3. My grandmother's name is Rena, and she learned a couple years ago that she was named after her grandmother Orena Roselle. Ever since she's learned I'm into names she's mentioned casually every few months how pretty her grandmother's name was. She also brings up Irene, because she has this suspicion that Rena comes from Irene, no matter how much I've told her it comes from Renata. Not that it really matters. This is her southern way of hinting that I should keep the pattern up, so I bet Irene would make her really happy.
4. What a great meaning!I want to avoid it as a middle name, because iambs (i-RENE, kath-LEEN, ma-RIE) as middle names seem like cop-outs to me. But I'm interested in what the board thinks of Irene, and if you had to use Irene as a first name what middle names you'd pair with it?
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Oh, I love Irene, and I think it would be very refreshing to hear on a girl. It is a very green name to me, and exceedingly sleek.Irene Melisande came to mind first.Irene Beatrix
Irene Bernadette
Irene Blythe
Irene Dorothea (you'd have to pronounce it doro-THAY-uh in this instance)
Irene Gisele / Gisela
Irene Ginevra
Irene Griselda
Irene Guinevere
Irene Jocasta
Irene Lucinda
Irene Magdalene
Irene Marianne
Irene Susanna(h)
Irene Theodora
Irene Theodosia
Irene Victoria
Irene Virginia
Irene Zenobia
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I love Irene, and I like the English pronunciation as well as any. German prn. is my favourite. Eirene (3 syllables) is stunning too but not as familiar as Irene and it might seem a little forced or pretentious. Personally I think it's perfect. Irene reminds me of the 1920s or 30s, it sounds hardworking and humble and quietly beautiful. The meaning is what attracted me to Irene in the first place, I love it.
Because of your grandmother (great-great-grandmother?) I think a rose name would be nice: Irene Rose, Irene Rosamund, Irene Rosalind, Irene Rosemary, Irene Rosalie, Irene Rosa (or Rosa / Rose Eirene).
More Irene:
Irene Clemence
Irene Margaret / Marguerite
Irene Daisy
Irene Dorothy
Irene Frances
Irene Lois
Irene Gloria
Irene Florence
Irene Hazel
Irene Roberta
Irene Constance
Irene Patience

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I love Irene. It was my great-grandmother's name and the -ene sound was honored in my mom's name. I think I would go with something like Irene Julia, Irene Cassandra, Irene Meliora, Irene Augusta. Something more feminine, I guess.
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I LOVE IRENE. So pretty. There's something about that letter combination that is aesthetically pleasing... Is, Rs, and Es. Wow.I love just about any pronunciation, but I think I love the Spanish and the French pronunciations most of all.Irene Philippa
Irene Morwenna
Irene Florence
Irene Frances
Irene Corisande
Irene Marguerite
Irene Georgina
Irene Winifred
Irene Wilda
Irene Cecilia
Irene Iris
Irene Matilda
Irene Eliza
Irene Cornelia
Irene Isabella
Irene Philomena
Irene Aliza
Irene Sidonie
Irene Dolores
Irene Magnolia
Irene Lavinia
Irene Olga
Irene Eulalia
Irene Eulalie
Irene Julitta
Irene Hesper
Irene Julanne
Irene Jobyna
Irene Olympia
Irene Frideswide
Irene Frithuswith
Irene Vivia
Irene Dorothea
Irene Maud
Irene Christabel
Irene Eumelia
Irene Augusta
Irene Loretta
Irene Gardenia
Irene Hildegard
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If your grandma was named after her grandma Orena, then her name comes from Orena, not Renata. I like Irene alright. I think Irina is nicer, though.Irene Viola
Irene Sophia
Irene Annabelle
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Good point, lol.
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Irene pronounced with three syllables - better still, Eirene pronounced with three syllables - is beautiful and classic and stylish and lyrical and doomed. And Irene pronounced iREEN is dreadful and inevitable.But if you use it as a mn and know in your secret heart that it's got three syllables, wouldn't you win twice?As for your pattern-making granny, I taught a Rina once who should according to her family tradition have been Irina, but they bowed to the inevitable I suppose. So that might cheer her up!
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heh. I like iREEN a lot! It's probably what I would use unless I were living in some German speaking place, and then I'd probably use it only about half the time. Or less.Apparently i-REEN-ee used to be a pretty standard English pronunciation, which I find interesting.
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Well, Greek used to be taught in UK schools, though of course most of the population never got that far! So it would have been the version that people were familiar with, or at least used to hearing. But as the number of schools teaching Greek started to fade (early 20th century at a guess), so American pop culture started moving in - barbershop quartets singing "Goodnight, iREEN" for instance. So it was probably a natural process from two sides.
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Irene is my great-great-grandmother's name and my mother's middle name. I'll probably use it as a middle name if I have several daughters. I love it for the family significance and the meaning!Irene Agnes
Irene Cecilia
Irene Frances
Irene Lucy
Irene Matilda
Irene Virginia
Irene Hazel (from my family tree)
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I'm a little bit biased (it's one of my middle names and a long-standing family name), but I love Irene! There's something about it that I think works on both a cute little girl and a professional, independent older woman. I've considered using it as a first name myself.Irene Agatha
Irene Alexandra
Irene Artemisia
Irene Helena
Irene Melissa
Irene Roxana
Irene Sophia
Irene Theodora
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