Meaning & use
Aileen
Last updated
Meaning
proper nounproper
A female given name of Irish origin, an English form of Eibhlín or Aibhilín.
Grammar: Used as a name before a verb or after titles; it takes no article: Aileen is here, not 'the Aileen'.
Patterns
- Aileen is …
- Aileen's …
- call someone Aileen
Aileen grew up in County Cork before moving to Boston.
My grandmother's name was Aileen, and she loved telling stories about Ireland.
Aileen and her sister run a small bakery together.
Common combinations
- Aunt Aileen
- Aunt Aileen always sends a card at Christmas.
- Aileen's birthday
- We're planning a surprise for Aileen's birthday.
- named Aileen
- Their daughter is named Aileen after her great-grandmother.
- Aileen from work
- Aileen from work offered me a lift home.
Synonyms and how they differ
- Eileen
- A very similar Irish-derived name that sounds almost the same, so the two are often mixed up in speech.
- Helena
- Another name linked to the same Greek root meaning 'torch' or 'light', but it looks and sounds quite different.
Commonly confused: Aileen or Eileen? Aileen or Aline?
Aileen vs Eileen
Eileen is a separate name, usually pronounced /aɪˈliːn/ in the US, while Aileen is often /eɪˈliːn/; the spelling difference is a single letter.
Aileen vs Aline
Aline is a different, less common name; it has no initial 'e' sound in the middle, so it is not pronounced like Aileen.
Practice
Which sentence uses the name correctly?
Choose one answer.
Proper names take no article and agree with a singular verb, so 'Aileen is waiting' is correct. 'The Aileen' wrongly adds an article, and 'Aileen are' uses a plural verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Aileen”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.