Etymology: Irulan's name is an anagram of her mother Anirul's name. The first two letters are moved to the end. This may be significant since she was the firstborn and first of Shaddam's daughters to be trained as a Bene Gesserit.

Upbringing: As the eldest of five daughters to Shaddam, Irulan was raised under auspicious circumstances in the Imperial Court, and received an excellent education through the Bene Gesserit. Like her younger sisters Chalice, Wensicia, Josifa, and Rugi, Irulan was conditioned to be a lady of refinement and elegance.

From an early age, Irulan's father Shaddam IV, expected her to become Empress after his death, or at the very least to wed a political ally and retain House Corrino's hegemony over the Imperium. The Bene Gesserit also saw potential in the girl, and gave her sufficient training so that they could exploit her at some point in the future, were she to find herself in a position of power.

However, despite the expectations of others, Irulan remained only an average Bene Gesserit adept, and retained a strong sense of personal identity and ambition: qualities that caused tension between herself and her equally strong-minded father.