Eileen
Girl name · #656 in 2025 · Rare
In 2025, 437 baby girls were named Eileen, placing it at #656 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #697, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 4,119 girls born in 2025 was named Eileen.
The 143-year story
Eileen first appears in the Social Security records in 1882, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1947, when 4,251 girls were named Eileen — good for #91 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Eileen per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Eileen against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Eileen in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Eileen is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Eileen will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Eileen is most common
Geography matters for names, and Eileen is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Eileen is most common in MA (0.7 per 1,000), WA (0.6 per 1,000), NY (0.6 per 1,000), NJ (0.5 per 1,000), CA (0.5 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.3 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Eileen is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Eileen
Statistically, parents drawn to Eileen tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kathleen, Ellen, Marilyn, Gloria, and Martha.
KathleenEllenMarilynGloriaMarthaElaineCarmenCarolyn
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Eileen | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 437 | #654 |
| 2024 | 511 | #592 |
| 2023 | 444 | #663 |
| 2022 | 476 | #621 |
| 2021 | 440 | #671 |
| 2020 | 401 | #701 |
| 2019 | 413 | #701 |
| 2018 | 439 | #669 |
| 2017 | 421 | #692 |
| 2016 | 390 | #727 |
| 2015 | 408 | #697 |
| 2014 | 391 | #716 |
| 2013 | 360 | #752 |
| 2012 | 324 | #829 |
| 2011 | 369 | #745 |
| 2010 | 321 | #837 |
| 2009 | 347 | #814 |
| 2008 | 386 | #762 |
| 2007 | 396 | #734 |
| 2006 | 355 | #777 |
| 2005 | 381 | #717 |
| 2004 | 358 | #737 |
| 2003 | 389 | #677 |
| 2002 | 380 | #667 |
| 2001 | 407 | #619 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Eileen a popular girl name?
Eileen ranked #656 among girls in 2025 with 437 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #697.
When was the name Eileen most popular?
Eileen peaked in 1947, when 4,251 American girls received the name (ranked #91 that year). Since 1947 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Eileen?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 4,119 newborn American girls was named Eileen. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.