Comments
Meaning
Usage
Pronunciation
Famous
Impression
Other
I really love the Spanish and Italian pronunciation.
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Ah, this name is so sweet and sentimental for me because of my dearest great-aunt Irene. In all my high school Spanish classes when we were able to choose Spanish names to go by in that class, I always went by Irene as a sort of tribute to her; funnily enough, Aunt Irene’s birthday was November 2, which is also a very special day in many Spanish-speaking nations, and one to commemorate departed loved ones.
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Such a beautiful name, I can't wait to see it become popular again.
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Irene is such a beautiful name that should make a comeback like what the comment under mines said.
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Irene Sue Vernon is a professor of Ethnic Studies Department at Colorado State University. She specialises in the field of Native Americans and HIV/AIDS. She is one of the very few full professors in the United States with Native ancestry.
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Gorgeous name, especially for an older woman.
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Irene is my favorite "I" name in this site. From where I'm from, we pronounce it as ee-reh-nee or ee-reh-nee. I think Irene Madalena, Irene Daniella and Irene Gabriella sound lovely.
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It's beautiful.
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Gorgeous name.
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This is a very old-fashioned name in Brazil.
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This is my daughter's middle name - her first name is Cassandra. I've always really liked this name. I think it goes well with my daughter's first name.
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Irene Cercado is a Filipino singer. She is a member of the Filipino girl group 4th Impact.
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Irene Ryder (Chinese: 黎愛蓮; pinyin: Lí Àilián; born 1949) is a Eurasian Hong Kong English pop singer who was popular in Hong Kong during the 1960s.
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RIP Irene Cara (1959 - 2022)
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Even though it's very old it is cute on a young person!
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That’s beautiful.
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I-rene, I-reeny both used in UK. Quite an uncommon name nowadays though.
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I love the name Irene, I think it's beautiful. It sounds very classy and melodic. I love the rhyming Serene for a sibling name. It ages gorgeously, in my opinion. The meaning “peace” adds to its beauty. Also, for some reason, I feel like this name would suit a cop well. Officer Irene; I just think it sounds good.
Overall, I think Irene is a lovely name.
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Overall, I think Irene is a lovely name.
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Irene is a name that sounds very calming; just like its meaning.
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Irene is very lovely & serene.
In England the earlier and now much rarer pronunciation was EYE-REENIE as with actress Irene Handl but at some point a change occurred and the 2 syllable EYE-REEN took root.
YouTube search The Forsyte Saga and wait until you hear one of the characters names Irene Heron / Forsyte being called - this is my favourite way of saying Irene.
5
In England the earlier and now much rarer pronunciation was EYE-REENIE as with actress Irene Handl but at some point a change occurred and the 2 syllable EYE-REEN took root.
YouTube search The Forsyte Saga and wait until you hear one of the characters names Irene Heron / Forsyte being called - this is my favourite way of saying Irene.
5
Irene Bedard was the voice actress and model for Disney’s Pocahontas!
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Also Maltese: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irene_Condachi
https://mt.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?search=Irene&title=Spe%C4%8Bjali:Fittex&fulltext=Fittex&ns0=1&searchToken=act16ghb9xsujx5eqmfnd7zfj
You'll find numerous bearers on social media.
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https://mt.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?search=Irene&title=Spe%C4%8Bjali:Fittex&fulltext=Fittex&ns0=1&searchToken=act16ghb9xsujx5eqmfnd7zfj
You'll find numerous bearers on social media.
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This is a pretty name, and I love the meaning! It totally deserves a comeback.
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It has a very elegant vibe to it. Love.
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Absolutely gorgeous. Irene is a lovely name because it's very unique and elegant ❤😍.
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Kinda reminds me of an old manga from the 80s called Gorgeous Irene.
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Beautiful! And old fashioned too if you ask me. It’s sweet and gentle sounding like a flower.
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This is my paternal aunt's name and I love it. Irene sounds pure and pretty. I don't see anything wrong with this name.
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I’m surprised one could dislike the gorgeous Irene. The meaning is beautiful, the goddess is lovely, practically perfect. Irene has harmony, grace, and elegance. Contrary to popular opinion, I don’t see this as an “old lady” name. It has stood the test of time and I can see why. More parents should use the name Irene for their daughters.
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Some middle names:
Irene Ima
Irene Raina
Irene Eliana
Irene Nala
Irene Evie.
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Irene Ima
Irene Raina
Irene Eliana
Irene Nala
Irene Evie.
1
It is curious that the name Irene is considered old-fashioned in English-speaking countries, since in my country, Spain, it is seen as a relatively new name, especially since the 2000s. By the way, there it is pronounced "Eee - reh - neh". Anyway, I find it an adorable and beautiful name. The leader of the Korean Kpop group Red Velvet is also named Irene. It has become more and more popular every time.
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It's beautiful.
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Ugly!
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Name of the day: 3/23/2021.
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This name is a wonderful name it stands out from all those overly common names you hear now a days. Irene being pronounced I-ree-nee sounds strange to me. Irene is just a lovely name, sure it's old fashioned, so was Evelyn and Eleanor, and those names are quite popular now. Will Irene make a come back or will it go away like Gertrude, Gladys and Bertha? Only time will tell.
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My name is Irene. I lived in Spain and in Spanish Irene rhymes with a foul word. Eirene is a natural satellite from Jupiter and the name means peace.
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I am named Irene Rosemary, and it stands for Peace and Remembrance. I was named in 1953 after the second world war, I have always felt a duty of care in my name, to do the right thing. When I was growing up at school there were three Irenes and as I grew up, adults would sing "Irene, good night Irene" in response to my name, it happened a lot and was confusing. I suppose because they were referring to memories I did not share, as if I shared them. Now I am in an era where it totally tells people how old I am as it is now old fashioned. I like the fact that friends will call me Renee or Irene with an accent over the e. It is a name that people play with, I am aware it is still popular in Poland and Greece, but in England it is dead, dead, dead! Fortunately I am not, and perhaps it will revive?
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Irene of Brunswick was the wife of Andronikos III Palaiologos, and Empress of Constantinople through her marriage.
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Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine was the daughter of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom and Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. Born at the end of the Austro-Prussian War, she was given the name due to its meaning of peace in Greek.
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This name is not bad, but it doesn't seem sweet. It feels like more of an old woman name, but it just doesn't look as sweet as it maybe sounds. Not so good, not bad. Just alright.
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I only know one Irene in her 80s, so I can’t picture this on a child.
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So cute.
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This is a beautiful name. ❤️. Someone named Irene is surely compassionate, humorous, gentle, intelligent, daring, and beautiful in her own way. She loves the environment and is passionate about many issues.
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Irene Ryan was the actress who played Daisy Moses (better-known as Granny) on The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971).
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Also used in Slovene: https://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irene_(ime)
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Irene is a member of a very famous K-Pop girl group known as Red Velvet.
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Also Estonian: https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irene
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Irene Parenti Duclos (or Irene Parenti, or her academic nickname Lincasta Ericinia) (1754–1795) was an Italian painter and poet. Her work as an expert copyist of old master paintings was highly valued in her era, and brought her honors from several Italian art academies. Moreover, she achieved particular renown as a pioneer in the revival of encaustic painting.
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Irene Zubaida Khan (Bengali: আইরিন জোবায়দা খান; born 24 December 1956) is a Bangladeshi lawyer who served as the seventh Secretary General of Amnesty International (from 2001 to 2009). In 2011, she was elected Director-General of the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) in Rome, an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the promotion of the rule of law, justice and development. She was a consulting editor of The Daily Star.
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I imagine a possible nickname to be Rini with either pronunciation.
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So pretty!
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Ie-REE-nee? Never heard of that pronunciation. That one sounds a lil weird. I would stick to ie-REEN.
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I really like the Dutch pronunciation, but the others just don't do anything for me.
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I really like it! It’s probably my favorite feminine name now. It sounds like a girl who is confident and perseverant.
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Irene of Athens was a Byzantine Roman empress. She is also venerated as a saint in the Greek Orthodox Church.
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Nice name if you use it with the correct pronunciation.
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Most names have what is called a Canon pronunciation like this one is in fact "EYE-REEN" but there are some who are given family preferred pronunciations like "eaR-ayNay". Like mine is "Stephen" which is canon as "STEV-en" however there are commoners that pronounce it as the spelling as pronunciation "STeF-ən".
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Irene from Red Velvet reinvented the name and brought peace upon the 2 Koreas, a goddess of peace indeed.. Even the president of North Korea is her fan.
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American actress and songwriter Irene Molloy.
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Also Catalan: http://www.idescat.cat/noms/?q=Irene&lang=en.
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I am Greek and my name is Eirini. It's a very popular name and common for little girls. Also the meaning is peace not peaceful.
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I prefer this name to most mythological ones - there's nothing wrong with naming your daughter Athena or Persephone, but I think Irene is an even nicer alternative, alluding to its Greek origins while remaining familiar. In my opinion, the pronunciation "eye-REEN" is better than "eye-REE-nee".
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I'm an Irene, don't like it too much in English but love it in Spanish. They call me Renie (Ree-nee) for short.
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Irene (birth name Bae Joo-Hyun) is the oldest member and leader of the popular South Korean girl group Red Velvet.
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"Goodnight Irene" is a song written and sung by the American folk and blues singer Lead Belly.
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I don't like the long "i" sound of the name Irene as pronounced in America: Eye-REEN. This name sounds better in almost every other language, with the short "i" (as in sit) of i-RAIN-uh, or the long "e" (as in she) of Ee-RAIN-ah. I even prefer the English pronunciation "Eye-REEN-EE", as the final jaunty syllable mitigates the harshness. Otherwise "Irene" sounds like just another one of those low-budget, Mid-Century American names ending in "ene", such as Eileen or Jolene.
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Irene Forsyte--pronounced Eye-REEN-ee--is the name of a character in John Galsworthy's *The Forsyte Saga*.
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I think it's pretty in other languages, such as Spanish, but I think it sounds harsh in English.
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In 2018, 84 is the most common age for an American (U.S.) Irene who is registered female with the Social Security Administration. It is the 300th most common female first name for living U.S. citizens.
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Pretty.
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So old fashioned.
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In my opinion I've never seen this as an old lady's name but it's so timeless and very lovely to me.
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Irene was my great grandmother's middle name, so I have to respect the name because of the association with her. I think it sounds very great, especially with a meaning like peaceful, though I prefer it as a middle name.
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Irene Gut-Opdyke was a Holocaust survivor who saved several Jews from the Nazis. She was named Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem.
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Irene is a classical, feminine name.
It reminds me of Renoir's beautiful 1880 portrait titled, "Little Irene." My niece is named Jasmyn Irene and she is gorgeous, smart and very loving. This name stands the test of time.
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It reminds me of Renoir's beautiful 1880 portrait titled, "Little Irene." My niece is named Jasmyn Irene and she is gorgeous, smart and very loving. This name stands the test of time.
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It’s kind of harsh sounding. It’s not very nice.
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Irene Curie Joliet was Marie Curie's and Pierre Curie's daughter, who was also a scientist. Both of her children were also scientists.
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South Korean singer Bae Joo-Hyun of girl group Red Velvet goes by the stage name Irene.
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Irene is the stage name of Bae Joohyun, a member of Red Velvet.
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Irene Aldana is a Mexican mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantam weight division. She is currently signed with the UFC. In her lone fight with Brazilian mixed martial arts promotion Jungle Fight, Aldana faced Larissa Pacheco for the vacant JF Women's Bantamweight Championship at JF: Jungle Fight 63 on December 21, 2013. She lost the fight via third round TKO, giving her the first loss of her professional career.
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Pronounced "ee-REN" in Swedish, "ee-RE-ne" in both Danish and Norwegian.
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Bae Joo-hyun, better known by her stage name Irene, is a South Korean singer, television host and actress. She is a member of South Korean girl group Red Velvet.
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This is my godmother's name. I think it's very pretty and I love the meaning.
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Modern Greek transcription forms are: Eirini and Irini. [noted -ed]
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It is also used in Modern Greek, a transcription of Ειρήνη (Eirini/Irini). [noted -ed]
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My name is Irene and it's pronounced as I-reen. I love it so much even though it seems kinda an old name. Keep it classic.
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One of my favorite dated names. Irene is such an elegant name.
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Irene is the name of the titular princess from The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald. The animated movie based on the book uses the ie-REE-nee pronunciation.
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I'm here from Aphmau's Minecraft Diaries. This name is very beautiful and I would really like to name my children this.
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I have a neutral feeling towards this name. I neither hate nor love it. Just a name I tolerate and pass by without much thought. It does suit an older female more to be honest.
The name is said as I-reen.
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The name is said as I-reen.
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Irene is the younger sister of singer Mariska Veres.
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Irene is a beautiful name. I can see why some people don't like it, but please don't insult the name. People who have this name will feel hurt. Thank you.
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Irene is written as آيرين in Arabic.
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My sister has this name and I think it is nice although I don't know if I would ever use it. My dad used to sing "Good night Irene" to her for fun. I love the meaning - "peace".
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My Paternal Grandma is called Irene. We call her eye-reen. My mother is French and pronounces it ee-rehne.
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Irene is unusual in that it has various pronunciations. In the U.S. I've only heard it pronouncd Eye-Reen, as with the famous 1930's movie star Irene Dunne. The British seem to prefer Eye-Ree-Nee as with the actress Irene Worth (although she was apparently born American). In other parts of Europe, the pronunciation ranges from Eh-Reh-Nee to Ir-Reh-Nuh.
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An utterly gorgeous name. X.
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A common Greek nickname for Irene is Rena.
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A famous bearer of the name was Irene Dunne (1898-1990), American actress of golden Hollywood.
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Irene Adler is a character in the Sherlock Holmes short story "A Scandal in Bohemia" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
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It's a very pretty name, and it would be nice to see it make a comeback. I like the nickname Ira.
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Irene Redfield is the main character in Passing, a novel by Nella Larsen. She is an unlikeable character.
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Name of the Day: March 23, 2013.
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In Gone with the Wind, Scarlett's youngest sister is named Caroline Irene, but she goes by Carreen.
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This name is also used in The Netherlands - the most famous Dutch bearer of this name is Princess Irene (b. 1939), one of the sisters of Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands.
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Irene Bedard (born July 22, 1967) is an American actress of Native American heritage. She provided the voice for Pocahontas in the Disney film of the same name.
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I think that the name Irene has a peaceful meaning. This name is unpopular now, but it was popular in the last century. So I think that Irene will become popular again in the future. Anyway, Irene is a nice name. I will probably use it.
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I know an English-born lady in her 90s who's spent most of her life in Australia and she uses the 3-syllables.
In one of the Leslie Dunkling name books there's a quote from a British lady called Irene - she explains that in the early 20th century an American musical was performed in London, and became a theatrical hit. It included a song about an Irene. But the American composer had set the word Irene to only two notes. The song caught on in England, and the 3-syllable pronunciation was doomed!
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In one of the Leslie Dunkling name books there's a quote from a British lady called Irene - she explains that in the early 20th century an American musical was performed in London, and became a theatrical hit. It included a song about an Irene. But the American composer had set the word Irene to only two notes. The song caught on in England, and the 3-syllable pronunciation was doomed!
2
It is somewhat true that this name sounds like an old lady's name and it dates back many years ago of when it came into usage as a name. The reason it is labeled as an "old lady's name" is because it became very popular and widespread since the time it was used as a name that a lot of women, young and old, are named Irene. I don't think you should rely on the facts that because it's so common it should be labeled as a "Granny" name, WRONG. Go accordingly with your taste in names, not with critics. Be rational, because critics can drive you crazy. If you see it the same way they do, then you can rely on your reasoning. I think this name doesn't sound bad at all and it has a great meaning. The spelling of Irene and Eirene partly resemble the country Ireland because of the Ire and Eire lettering, and that is what they actually mean. Why not say this name is a good choice for an Irish girl. Overall, this is a good name for anyone, but it's not my favorite. However, if this is your name, and if it were mine, I wouldn't change it and neither should you. Lastly, I never heard anyone make fun of this name. There is a reason to be proud of it. So, if you have a nice name, you should be proud of it, even if you don't like yourself.
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My name is Irene, pronounced eye-REEN, and I've always hated it. I have been told it's a beautiful name, but I've also been told it's an old lady name. I have never liked either the sound or meaning of the name, because I find a name that means "peace" very unfitting for someone who's so full of inner chaos like myself. Though there's thousands of names I like better, I would never change it.
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Was very popular in Constantinople, most famous is Empress Irene, regnant alone from 797 to 802, there are also several Bulgarian queens with name Irene.
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The name "Irene" was also given to a hurricane which damaged severely the Caribbean, the United States East Coast and Atlantic Canada in 2011.
I don't like it that they give female names to hurricanes. My name is Irene and I'm teased a lot about it!:(
0
I don't like it that they give female names to hurricanes. My name is Irene and I'm teased a lot about it!:(
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Irangemi, seriously? You're still thinking that the World Meteorology Organization uses solely feminine names to name hurricanes? They have stopped doing that since the 70s! And now they name hurricanes with names of both genders, for example: Alberto, Beryl, Chris, and Debby. If you just want them to completely get rid of the feminine names, just send them a letter saying you wish to make all six name lists all male names only. Good luck.
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I have actually began to like the English pronunciation, but I much prefer the German one.
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The English pronunciation is really hideous to me. EYE-reeeeen. Ugh. I think the Italian and Spanish pronunciation is very nice, it's ee-ren-ay.
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I'm named Irene, at first I really didn't like it, but I'm starting to warm up to it, I've only ever met 1 other person named Irene - so it's pretty unique, but unfortunately I've had stupid nicknames such as irenis or irenis the penis and other variants of them bestowed upon me by certain friends.
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I hate this name because of the sound of it and the last three letters of the name.
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I think this is a great name, but seems rather old-fashioned nowadays, which is a shame because I think it could be easily recycled and freshened up on a young girl. And Reenee is a really great-sounding nickname. :)
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I've only known one person my age (born in the early 1970s) named Irene. She was named after a grandmother but seemed so cool when we were in college that I had positive associations with it. Then there's Irene Adler, the only woman ever to best Sherlock Holmes, and the fact that it's a traditional Greek and Russian royal name. It's a prettier name when it's pronounced the European way as ee-RAY-nuh, the way it's pronounced in the Sherlock Holmes Grenada series with Jeremy Brett. Eye-REEN is the way it seems to be pronounced in most English-speaking countries, though.
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I have loved the name Irene since I first saw the film "Gattaca." Until then I thought Irene was an old-lady's name, but the name seemed really fresh and elegant on Uma Thurman's character in the movie.
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Terrible in English-speaking languages.
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I think it is a beautiful, reserved name, and is well-suited to my favourite [and only] mam-gu. A peaceful, contented, happy sort of name, and one that is quite nice when shortened to 'Reney' [Pronounced REENEE].
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I don't know why people like this name so much. It's not a bad name and the meaning is nice enough, but it's very old fashioned. I mean, have you ever come across a pretty young girl with a name like Irene, Sheila or Margaret?
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This is my middle name and both of my grandmothers' names. I was literally destined to have this name. I guess it goes well with my first name (which is Deana), but I particularly don't care for it.
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I pronounce it I-ree-nee, and I love it!
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Irene (pronounced Ie-REE-nee) Handl (1901-87) was a British actress of Austrian and French parentage. She was a wonderful comedic presence in lots of films from the 1950s and 1960s that still occasionally appear on British television.
The pronunciation of Irene of her generation (reflected in the character Irene Heron in Galsworthy's "The Forsyte Saga" in the BBC television series of the late 1960s) is seldom if ever heard in Britain anymore.
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The pronunciation of Irene of her generation (reflected in the character Irene Heron in Galsworthy's "The Forsyte Saga" in the BBC television series of the late 1960s) is seldom if ever heard in Britain anymore.
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Everything about this name is wonderful. The pronunciation, the spelling, the usage. I love it. It's not boring, either.
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My name is Irene (pronounced in Spanish, Ee-REH-neh or something like this) and I think it's absolutely classy, beautiful and elegant. Unfortunately is very common nowadays in Spain, but yet, it's so beautiful. And I don't like the English pronunciation at all!
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I personally see nothing wrong with this name. It's not my favorite in the universe, but it's pretty.
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This name is crap in English, but sounds nice in other languages. In English, it sounds like the name of a dim-witted country girl. I would suggest English-speakers to leave the name alone, but in other languages, it sounds quite pretty, and nicely mature as well.
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Dissing the English language, huh? Gee, it's like racism... but with language!
This name does NOT sound bad in English! It sounds very pretty in my opinion! I personally think that YOU should leave this name alone; it's not right to tell others what not to name their babies, ESPECIALLY if language is involved.
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This name does NOT sound bad in English! It sounds very pretty in my opinion! I personally think that YOU should leave this name alone; it's not right to tell others what not to name their babies, ESPECIALLY if language is involved.
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Also used in Ireland.
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Name of the day on March 23, 2008.
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The infamous title 'character' in the song known as either "Irene, Goodnight" or "Goodnight Irene," an old folk standard.
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I think Irene is an all-time-classic and pretty name, especially when pronounced AI-REEN. Interesting combinations; Grace-Irene, Brenda-Irene, Martha-Irene.
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This is my mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother's middle name, and my mom hates it. I think it's an okay name, just not one of my favorites. I'm just glad it's not my middle name!
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Irene was the sister of Alexandra Feodorovna, the last tsaritsa of Russia.
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Irene (pronounced Ie-REE-nee) Worth was a British actress.
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Correction! Irene Worth was American, not British. She was born Harriet Elizabeth Abrams. She did use the pronunciation "Ie-REE-nee."
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Irene Van Dyk is a 6 foot goal shooter who plays for the Silver Ferns (New Zealand netball team.) She was a South African who moved to New Zealand. She is very good at Netball. :)
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This name RULES!
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I love Irene for a middle name.
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I have only heard it pronounced IE-reen. I don't particularly like this name. The only thing that is okay about this name is the nickname Reenie.
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My grandma has this name. In Spanish, I've only heard it pronounced as EE-re-ne.
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I've heard it pronounced "ee-RAY-nay" in the 1995 film "Mi Familia".
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Irene de Todos los Santos Urdangarín y de Borbón is the name of the fourth child of Princess Cristina of Spain and her husband Iñaki Urdangarín.
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Pronounced ee-RAY-nuh in Germany. [noted -ed]
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Irene is a very pretty name. I like what it means and it sounds soft, classy and mysterious yet simple.
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I think it is a beautiful name with a pretty sound and a good meaning. Peace is a very important matter for anyone now, whether it is a peaceful world or a peace in each person's mind.
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A famous bearer is Irene Cara.
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In Portuguese this name is pronounced "EE-rehn".
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A famous bearer of this name is Princess Irene of Lippe-Biesterfeld. She is the sister of queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.
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Irene was the baptismal name of Arlene Dietrich.
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My great aunt Irene pronounced it i-REE-nee.
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The older pronunciation (still used to some extent in England, I believe) is ie-REE-nee.
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