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313 Girl Names That End in een, ene, or ine

Pamela Redmond
By Pamela Redmond
Updated Wed Jan 31 2024
313 Girl Names That End in een, ene, or ine

Girl names that end in -een, -ene, and -ine were very stylish in the US in the middle of the last century, the era of Kathleen, Eileen, Charlene, Maureen, and sisters.

These endings sometimes feminized a name, as with Josephine or Albertine. Sometimes they created a diminutive or pet name.

The -een names were to the 1950s and 1960s what the -ley names are today. Add the suffix to almost any name and boom, it's more unique and stylish.

Today, the -ine ending is the most popular of the three suffixes, maybe because it can be pronounced with a long I as in Caroline or a short one as in Katherine, more fashionable than the een sound. Though some names ending in -ine, such as the stylish Josephine and Celine, are pronounced like een.

Here is a wide selection of baby girl names ending in -een, -ene, and -ine, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

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Girl Names

  1. Josephine

    • Origin:

      French feminine variation of Joseph, Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "Jehovah increases"

    • Description:

      Josephine, with its large measure of class and character and a gently offbeat quality, has been on a gentle uphill climb in the US for over 30 years, now ranking in the Top 100. With an intriguing number of vivacious nicknames, from Jo to Josie to Fifi to Posy, Josephine is a Nameberry favorite.
  2. Evangeline

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "bearer of good news"

    • Description:

      Evangeline is a romantic old name enjoying a major comeback, thanks to its religious overtones, Eva's popularity, and the star of the TV megahit Lost, Evangeline Lilly. Evangelia and Evangelina — two variants of Evangeline — are sure to tag along for the ride.
  3. Clementine

    • Origin:

      French feminine version of Clement, Latin

    • Meaning:

      "mild, merciful"

    • Description:

      Clementine is a Nameberry favorite that broke back into the US Top 1000 in 2014 after more than half a century off the list.
  4. Caroline

    • Origin:

      French, feminine variation of Charles

    • Meaning:

      "free man"

    • Description:

      Caroline is a perennial classic, one of the elite group of girls' names that's ALWAYS ranked among the Top 1000 and that's been in the Top 100 since 1994. Elegant yet strong, Caroline calls to mind the Kennedy Camelot years and Princess Caroline of Monaco.
  5. Madeline

    • Origin:

      English variation of Magdalen

    • Meaning:

      "high tower or woman from Magdala"

    • Description:

      Madeline, a lovely name with a soft and delicate image, is an old-fashioned favorite that returned to favor in the 1990's, combining a classic pedigree with a cute nickname option: Maddy.
  6. Adeline

    • Origin:

      French, diminutive of Adele

    • Meaning:

      "noble, nobility"

    • Description:

      Adeline has a lovely, old-fashioned "Sweet Adeline" charm, but has become so popular in the US under so many spellings and variations -- with Adalynn and Adalyn also popular -- that considered together it is far more popular than it first seems. Adorable nickname Addie is also pervasive.
  7. Delphine

    • Origin:

      French from Greek

    • Meaning:

      "of Delphi; womb"

    • Description:

      Delphine is a sleek, chic French name with two nature associations — the dolphin and the delphinium, a bluebell-like flower, a well as a link to the ancient city of Delphi, which the Greeks believed to be the womb of the earth. All of these derive from the Greek word delphus "womb".
  8. Emmeline

    • Origin:

      Old French form of archaic German Amal

    • Meaning:

      "work"

    • Description:

      Emmeline is an Emma relative and Emily cousin that is destined for greater use in the wake of the megapopularity of those two names. A recommended Nameberry fave, Emmeline hopped onto the US Top 1000 in 2014 for the first time ever. While it is genuinely an old name, it was rarely used a century ago; only 17 baby girls were named Emmeline in 1915, the same number as were named Ernie!
  9. Catherine

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "pure"

    • Description:

      Catherine is one of the oldest and most consistently well-used girls’ names, with endless variations and nicknames. The Catherine form feels more gently old-fashioned and feminine than the more popular K versions. Most stylish nickname for Catherine right now: Kate...or Cate, a la Blanchett.
  10. Irene

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "peace"

    • Description:

      Serene Irene, the name of the Greek goddess of peace and one of the most familiar Greek goddess names, was hugely popular in ancient Rome and again in the United States a hundred years ago.
  11. Katherine

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "pure"

    • Description:

      Katherine is one of the oldest, most diverse, and all-around best names: it's powerful, feminine, royal, saintly, classic, popular, and adaptable. Long one of the top girls' names starting with K, Katherine has now been unseated on the popularity list by upstarts Kennedy and Kinsley, but a dip in popularity only adds to its charm.
  12. Madeleine

    • Origin:

      French variation of Magdalen

    • Meaning:

      "woman from Magdala or high tower"

    • Description:

      Sophisticated and sweet, delicate but substantial, Madeleine is the classic French variation of Magdalene.
  13. Celine

    • Origin:

      French variation of Celeste

    • Meaning:

      "heavenly"

    • Description:

      French-Canadian singer Dion made us notice this variation. Although many parents would prefer the homonym Selene, which has a different derivation and means "moon," Celine has been a Top 1000 name every year since 2012, and was also on the list each year from 1994 to 2005. Celine is also a newly-chic French fashion label.
  14. Maxine

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "greatest"

    • Description:

      With the success of all names Max, from Max itself to Maxwell to Maxfield to Maximilian, it's just possible that Maxine could be lured away from her mah-jongg game at the clubhouse and into the nursery. She's already been chosen by hip musician Nick Hexum for his daughter, sister to Echo.
  15. Sabine

    • Origin:

      French and German form of Sabina, Latin

    • Meaning:

      "Sabine"

    • Description:

      This slightly more compact version of Sabina has ties to France and Germany. Unlike its sister name, Sabine has never charted in the United States Top 1000. Today, both names are given to roughly the same number of baby girls in the US, about 70 each year.
  16. Jacqueline

    • Origin:

      French, feminine diminutive of Jacques

    • Meaning:

      "supplanter"

    • Description:

      Jacqueline originated as a feminine form of Jacques, the French variation of James, and therefore Jacob. Jacob was ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Ya’aqov, and gets its meaning, "supplanter" from the story of Jacob supplanting his brother Esau as the first-born son in the Bible. Jacqueline was first used in France in the Middle Ages.
  17. Marceline

    • Origin:

      Feminization of Marcel, French

    • Meaning:

      "little warrior"

    • Description:

      Balancing femininity, vintage charm, and fantasy nerdiness, Marceline is one to watch. Marceline the Vampire Queen from the 2010-2018 animated TV series Adventure Time brought her elaborate French name back into public consciousness. It re-entered the Top 1000 in 2020, after an 86 year hiatus, and rose into the 700s in 2021. Nicknames Marcie and Marcy are rising in popularity as well. Marceline may appeal to parents who like frilly, traditional, and sophisticated names such as Josephine and Genevieve.
  18. Jasmine

    • Origin:

      Flower name, from Persian

    • Meaning:

      "gift from God"

    • Description:

      Jasmine was derived from the Persian word yasmin, referring to the jasmine flower. Scented oil was made from the plant, and it was used as a perfume throughout the Persian Empire. Variants include Jazmin, Yasmin, Yasmine, and Jessamine.
  19. Eileen

    • Origin:

      Scottish variation of Evelyn

    • Meaning:

      "desired; or water, island"

    • Description:

      The Scottish Eileen was a midcentury darling that was on a long downward slide for decades. And then, in 2012, it took an unexpected pivot and has been inching upward in the US. The unrelated but similar-sounding Isla may have revived the taste for Eileen. Isla along with Lee and Lena might be nicknames for Eileen. Eileen is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Eibhlin or Aibhilin, which is technically a form of to Evelyn/Aveline, but is also sometimes considered part of the Helen family of names. Aileen is the Irish version, less popular now than Eileen.
  20. Lorraine

    • Origin:

      French

    • Meaning:

      "from the province of Lorraine"

    • Description:

      Sweet Lorraine might just be old enough to be ripe for reconsideration. This French place name has moved in and out of fashion in the few hundred years it's been used as a girls' first name, somewhat influenced by the alternative name of Joan of Arc--Saint Joan of Lorraine. It was quite popular from the 1920s to the fifties, but has pretty much been in limbo since then.