Question: is irene an old name?
Answer: Irene (Ειρήνη Eirene), sometimes written Irini, is derived from εἰρήνη – the Greek for "peace". Eirene was the Greek goddess of peace. Irene was also the name of an 8th-century Byzantine empress (Irene of Athens), as well as the name of several saints (see Agape, Chionia, and Irene).