Eileen
Where Eileen comes from
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”).
- Irish
- 2 syllables
Along the way
- 1882First appearance#813 among girls, 6 babies — the first year at least five got the name.
- 1943Peak, #684,092 babies named Eileen — more than any year before or since.
- 1956Eileen Collins bornAstronaut and United States Air Force pilot
- 1966The fadeThe first year with half the peak's births — down to #168.
- 2003Eileen Gu bornAmerican-born Chinese freestyle skier
In the dictionary
- A female given name from Irish.
Namesakes
- Eileen Collins · Astronaut and United States Air Force pilot, born 1956
- Eileen Gu · American-born Chinese freestyle skier, born 2003
- Eileen Chang · Chinese-born American essayist, novelist, and screenwriter, 1920–1995
- Eileen Heckart · American actress, 1919–2001
- Eileen Brennan · American actress and singer, 1932–2013
Sources: the origin note and dictionary entry are quoted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0); the namesakes come from Wikidata (CC0); the milestones are worked out from the SSA record.