Illya
Ilya, Iliya, Ilia, Ilja, Ilija, or Illia is the East Slavic form of the male Hebrew name Eliyahu (Eliahu), meaning "My God is Yahu/Jah." It comes from the Byzantine Greek pronunciation of the vocative (Ilía) of the Greek Elias. It is pronounced with stress on the second syllable. The diminutive form is Iliusha or Iliushen'ka.
Meaning & Origin of Illya
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ilya, Iliya, Ilia, Ilja, Ilija, or Illia is the East Slavic form of the male Hebrew name Eliyahu (Eliahu), meaning "My God is Yahu/Jah." It comes from the Byzantine Greek pronunciation of the vocative (Ilía) of the Greek Elias. It is pronounced with stress on the second syllable. The diminutive form is Iliusha or Iliushen'ka.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Illya
As a girl name
Illya first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1965, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1966, when 11 Illyas were born — ranking #3,959 that year. As of 2026, Illya ranks #11,069 for girls with 8 births, with steady use. In total, more than 39 Illyas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Illya first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1965, with 35 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1966, when 78 Illyas were born — ranking #827 that year. As of 2026, Illya ranks #12,301 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 365 Illyas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Illya
Phonetically similar names — useful when Illya 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 Illya
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About the name Illya
Illya is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1965 and has accumulated 365 births in the dataset. Illya's peak popularity came in 1966 when it ranked #827. Use the chart and map above to compare Illya's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1966 →
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- Top names of 2026 →
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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.