Aileen

eye-leen or ay-leen
Irish variation of Helen
"bright, shining light"

Aileen Origin and Meaning

The name Aileen is a girl's name of Irish origin meaning "bright, shining light".

Irish Aileen and Scottish Eileen may be pronounced the same way or Aileen can be pronounced with a long a at the beginning. While neither is particularly stylish, Aileen is slightly more popular and has reversed its downward slide to inch upward in the past few years, perhaps thanks to its stylish A beginning. Nicknames for Aileen include Isla, Ayla, Lee and Lena.

# 796 in the US

Aileen Rank in US Top 1000

# 973 on Nameberry

Aileen Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Aileen Popularity

Famous People Named Aileen

  • Aileen Marie Quinn
    American actress and singer
  • Aileen Pringle
    American silent film actress
  • Aileen Muriel (Riggin) Soule
    American Olympic swimmer
  • Aileen Tan
    Singaporean actress
  • Aileen Lucia Fisher
    American children's author
  • Aileen Lee
    American venture capitalist
  • Aileen Blanche Clarke Hernandez
    American activist
  • Aileen Yvonne Palmer
    Australian poet and diarist
  • Aileen Plunkett
    Irish heiress and daughter of Arthur Ernest Guinness
  • (Margaret) Aileen Carroll
    Canadian politician
  • Aileen Carol Wuornos
    American serial killer
  • Aileen Mehle
    American society columnist
  • Aileen Osborn Webb
    American craft pioneer
  • Aileen Mary Roberts
    2nd Countess Roberts

Aileen in Pop Culture

  • Aileen Morgan
    character on TV's 'Homeland'
  • Aileen (McKenzie) Fraser
    Jamie Fraser's late mother in the Outlander series