Ilia
Ilia is a given name and variant of Ilya.
- Georgian
- Russian
- Bulgarian
- Belarusian
Meaning & Origin of Ilia
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ilia is a given name and variant of Ilya.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Georgian
- Russian
- Bulgarian
- Belarusian
- Old Church Slavic
The Story of Ilia
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Ilia as a girl name dates back to 1912, when 5 babies received it. 1980 was its biggest year on record, with 43 newborns named Ilia — #2,278 in the national rankings. About 21% of every Ilia on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Ilia ranks #7,106 for girls with 15 births, gradually falling (-9%). All told, over 817 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
American parents first put Ilia on the record books as a boy name in 1998, with 8 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 25 Ilias were born — ranking #4,235 that year. About 44% of every Ilia on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Ilia ranks #4,235 for boys with 25 births, rising sharply (+104% over the past five years). All told, over 248 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1990s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Ilia
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Ilia. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Notable people named Ilia
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Ilia II of Georgia (born 1933), current Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia
- Ilia Abuladze (1901–1968), Georgian historian, philologist and public figure
- Ilia Averbukh (born 1973), Russian ice dancer
- Ilia Beshkov (1901–1958), Bulgarian artist, writer, and pedagogue
- Ilia Braunstein (1908–1980), Belgian philatelist
- Ilia Calderón (born 1972), Colombian journalist
- Ilia Chavchavadze (1837–1907), Georgian writer, political figure, poet, and publisher
- Ilia Chernousov (born 1986), Russian cross country skier
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Ilia
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ilia is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ilia
What does the name Ilia mean?
What is the origin of the name Ilia?
How popular is Ilia in 2026?
When was Ilia most popular?
In which U.S. states is Ilia most popular?
Is Ilia a unisex name?
What names go well with Ilia?
What are nicknames or variants of Ilia?
About the name Ilia
Ilia is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1912 and has accumulated 817 births in the dataset. Ilia's peak popularity came in 1980 when it ranked #2,278. Use the chart and map above to compare Ilia's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1980 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "I" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.