girl's name
Aine
AWN-yuh
- Origin Irish
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 11,901
Ireland
#91
as Áine, 2025
Aine is a girl's name of Irish origin meaning "radiance" or "brightness," borne by a goddess of sovereignty and midsummer in Munster. It ranks 91st in Ireland and is stable in our data.
- Aine is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in Ireland in 1980, when 213 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in Ireland.
- First appears in birth records in 1964.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Aine over time
Births per decade in Ireland, 1960s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2022, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 300 |
| 1970s | 1,118 |
| 1980s | 1,854 |
| 1990s | 1,755 |
| 2000s | 1,753 |
| 2010s | 1,006 |
| 2020s (to 2022) | 317 |
What Aine means
Aine means radiance, brightness or splendor. The Irish áine describes light and brilliance, and it is applied to summer and to sovereignty as readily as to a person, which is why the goddess of that name is associated with both.
Where Aine comes from
Aine is the Irish Áine, from áine, radiance or splendor. Its bearer is Áine, a goddess of Munster associated with summer, sovereignty and the sun, whose seat is Cnoc Áine — Knockainey in County Limerick — where midsummer fires were still being lit into the nineteenth century. She appears in the literature as the daughter of Eogabail of the Tuatha Dé Danann and as an ancestress claimed by the FitzGeralds of Desmond, which is a common pattern: Norman families in Ireland attached themselves to Irish sovereignty figures to legitimize their hold on land. Áine is sometimes given as the Irish for Anne or Hannah, and that pairing is by sound only — Hannah is Hebrew, meaning favor. Anglicizations include Anya and Awnya, neither standard.
Aine in use
Aine ranks 91st in Ireland with 53 births in 2025 and 173rd in Northern Ireland, and our records mark it stable with a peak in 2004. Our records carry it from 1966. It is rare outside the island — 1,765th in England and Wales, 3,803rd in the United States — and the accented Áine spelling appears alongside it in Irish records, which spreads the total.
How popular is Aine?
In 2022, Aine was given to 3 babies in Ireland. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Aine is used
Irish figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. The Central Statistics Office began recording the síneadh fada in 2018, so accented and unaccented spellings are counted separately from that year on. Data & sources.
How Aine is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Áine | Áine is Aine written with a fada in Ireland, and the spelling parents there overwhelmingly choose: it ranks #91 in Ireland, against #1,043 for Aine. | 450 |
Names that peaked alongside Aine
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Aine also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Aine over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Aine in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Aine
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Aine — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Aine
What does the name Aine mean?
Aine means "radiance" or "brightness," from the Irish áine.
How do you pronounce Aine?
AWN-yuh, two syllables.
Who was Áine in Irish mythology?
A goddess of Munster associated with summer, the sun and sovereignty, whose seat is Knockainey in County Limerick.
Is Aine the Irish for Anne?
It is paired with it by sound, but the two are unrelated. Anne comes from the Hebrew Hannah.
How popular is the name Aine?
In 2022, Aine was given to 3 babies in Ireland. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Aine a girl's or a boy's name?
Aine is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Aine?
Aine has 1 syllable.
When was Aine most popular?
Aine peaked in 1980, when 213 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Aine a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Aine currently ranks #91 in Ireland. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.