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What do you think of Irene?

33 replies

gridreference · 25/09/2009 18:19

What do you think of Irene as a girl's name? It's listed on Mumsnet's Baby Name Finder.

How would you pronounce it?

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BonsoirAnna · 25/09/2009 18:21

I - reen

in English.

I really don't like it at all! I don't like names that end in the -een sound on the whole.

Firawla · 25/09/2009 18:36

eye-reen

I quite like it, the meaning is really nice, I like the letter I for an initial letter, and it has a nice calming feel to it. The downside is that it could be seen as dated, but still I like it and I think as Iris has become popular these days it could be very useable as similar to that?

Tidey · 25/09/2009 18:38

She's a flamin' lush off Home and Away. I haven't actually watched it in years, so I dunno whether she's still in it, but that's what my first thought was.

mazzystartled · 25/09/2009 18:39

DD's middle name is irene, pronounced eye-reenie (like Irene Handl), after dh's granny.

It was going to be her first name but then we had another idea that seemed to suit her better

I think it is beautiful, with a lovely meaning

audley · 25/09/2009 21:00

I like it eye-reenie, rather sweet

liath · 25/09/2009 21:03

I like it if pronounced Ireenie (have just read The Forsyte Saga!).

TheFallenMadonna · 25/09/2009 21:05

Eye-REE-nie - as in the Forsyte Saga - is rather nice. And if I saw the name on a class list that would be my first stab at pronunciation I think. If I was faced with an elderly woman, I would say EYE-rene, which is much less pleasant.

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 25/09/2009 21:16

My friend is German. This is her Mums name - pronounced "Ee Rain A". I like it like that, but "eye reen" sounds old and tired.

WickedWench · 25/09/2009 21:16

Sorry, hate it. Irene (Eyereen) is a late middle aged lady name. My Mum has three friends called Irene, all in their early sixties and two of them are know as Reenie. Yuk.

I did used to work with a girl called Irena - pronounced 'ihrenna' - her parents were Polish immigrants though so probably a proper Polish name. I think that is much nicer.

wheresclaire · 25/09/2009 21:30

Reenie is nice. Irene just sounds too dated.

hatwoman · 25/09/2009 21:39

no. don't like it. it might come into fashion in 20 years - when people whose grannies were called Irene are having kids. but we're not ready for it yet. it sits with Valerie and Jean. not with Iris, Elsie, and Harry.

dogonpoints · 25/09/2009 21:47

I don't like it at all.

Eye-reen.

ravenAK · 25/09/2009 21:51

Eye-reen-ee.

I have a mate (in his late 60s now) whose ex was called Irene, & he was haunted by a song called 'Irene, I'll see you in my dreams'.

A murder ballad maybe?

Anyway, my associations with the name are now, well, a bit creepy.

Eirene maybe?

spicybingowings · 25/09/2009 21:54

old fashioned and not particularly nice.

eye - reen.

Eye - reen - ee - sounds ok.

seeker · 25/09/2009 21:55

When my dd was born she still had a living Great great grandmother. She was a fabulous,feisty, incredibly switched on 102 year old lady called Irene (Rene for short). We really wanted to honour her in our dd's name, but just couldn't bring ourselves to use Irene, even as a 3rd name! So dd has Irina (the Russian version) as part of her name, and loves it. Honour satisfied on all sides.

But I wouldn't use it as a first name.

dogonpoints · 25/09/2009 21:59

I had a very similar problem, seeker. Couldn't bring myself to use it at all

dogonpoints · 25/09/2009 22:00

plus there was an old witch of a relative on the same side of the family called Reenie (never sure how she spelled it)

angelene · 25/09/2009 22:01

"Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene
I'll see you in my dreams"

Beautiful song but I'm not sure I particularly like the name.

seeker · 25/09/2009 22:39

We always used to sing that at family parties for the aforementioned ancient Irene! Oh the memories!

It's quite nice if it's pronounced E-ren, in the French way. But there's no way you could make that happen/

CristinaTheAstonishing · 25/09/2009 22:46

My niece is Irina (pr. EE-ree-nah), which is lovely. Nickname Irinel (ee-ree-nehl).

pasturesnew · 25/09/2009 22:47

I like it pronounced eye-reenie.

twirlymum · 25/09/2009 22:55

Irene Handl. From Metal Mickey.

Bigboots · 25/09/2009 23:05

Dexy's Midnight Runners! 'C'mon Irene'

bellissima · 26/09/2009 08:21

Its like Agnes. Continental pronunciation lovely, English pronunciation great-auntish.

mrswoolf · 26/09/2009 11:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.