Irina

Irina is a female given name used in many Slavic-speaking countries. It is the Slavic form of Irene, which derives from the Greek Eirene, meaning peace. The name has numerous variants across languages, including Irena, Iryna, Irène, and Irene.

In Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria, Romania, and Moldova, Irina has been a common name for generations and remains widely used among the diaspora. It is often linked to Christian naming traditions through Saint Irene, and it has produced various diminutives such as Ira or Irinka in informal speech.

Notable people named Irina include Irina Shayk (born 1986), a Russian model and actress; Irina Bokova (born 1952), a Bulgarian diplomat and former Director-General of UNESCO; and Irina Slutskaya (born 1979), a Russian figure skater and multiple-time world champion.

In literature and film, the given name Irina appears for fictional characters, such as Irina in Anton Chekhov's play The Three Sisters.