Ilya

Ilya - A very unique male name

Ilya appeared on the charts for the first time in 1997 on position #2933. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Ilya and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Ilya? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Ilya. The baby boy name Ilya was given to 11 baby boys in 2025, ranking #3040 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 133,299 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Ilya peaked in popularity 8 years ago in 2018 on position 2277.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Ilya, 1-5?

Ilya is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Ilya is currently topping the baby name charts in California at position #2,307 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,725.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Ilya is where you live.

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Ilya origin and meaning

Russian, form of Elijah

My God is Yahweh — from Hebrew Eliyyah

Ilya is the Russian form of Elijah, from Hebrew Eliyyah, meaning my God is Yahweh. It is a long-established name in Russian and other Slavic traditions, in the American data since 1997 and rising in recent years.

Attested etymology

Ilya is a 4 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Ilya, pop culture references for the name Ilya and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Ilya

We've found the following names that sound similar to Ilya, sorted by popularity.

Ilay / Ilai / Illya / Ilia / Iliya /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Ilya

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Ilya a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Ilya?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

eel-YAH · /ɪlˈjɑː/

Around the world

• Elijah (English) — The English form of the name
• Élie (French) — The French form
• Ilia (Bulgarian/Georgian) — The South Slavic and Georgian form

Spellings and nicknames

• Ilia — The Bulgarian and Georgian spelling

Nicknames: Ilyusha

Famous bearers

• Ilya Kovalchuk — Russian ice hockey player (b. 1983) Contemporary
• Ilya Sutskever — Israeli-Canadian computer scientist (b. 1986) Contemporary

Style

InternationalBiblical

Why parents choose it

A classic international name with a biblical root, elegant in Russian form.

Worth knowing

• English speakers may stress the first syllable, while the Russian stress is on the second.