Illinois
Illinois is a state in the Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash and Ohio rivers to its south. Of the fifty U.S. states, Illinois has the fifth-largest gross domestic product (GDP), the sixth-largest population, and the 25th-most land area.
Meaning & Origin of Illinois
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Illinois is a state in the Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash and Ohio rivers to its south. Of the fifty U.S. states, Illinois has the fifth-largest gross domestic product (GDP), the sixth-largest population, and the 25th-most land area.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Etymology
Origin & history
The Story of Illinois
As a girl name
Illinois first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1918, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1920: 6 births, good for #4,398 nationwide. About 55% of every Illinois on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. Illinois last appeared in the published SSA data in 1920, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 11 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Illinois as a boy name dates back to 1923, when 5 babies received it. 1923 was its biggest year on record, with 5 newborns named Illinois — #4,239 in the national rankings. Illinois last appeared in the published SSA data in 1923, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 5 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1920s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Illinois
Phonetically similar names — useful when Illinois 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 Illinois
What does the name Illinois mean?
How popular is Illinois in 2026?
When was Illinois most popular?
Is Illinois a unisex name?
What names go well with Illinois?
About the name Illinois
Illinois is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1918 and has accumulated 11 births in the dataset. Illinois's peak popularity came in 1920 when it ranked #4,398. Use the chart and map above to compare Illinois's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1920 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- 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.