Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2025

Ilham

Gender Unisex · 89% girls Rank 2025 #6,645 Trend ↑ Rising 47%

Ilham (إلهام) is a unisex name that derives from the Arabic word for inspiration.

Rank 2025
#6,645
among girls · ↑1,498 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
28
named Ilham
How common
1 in 94,545
girls born in 2025
Peak year
2025
28 babies
All-time total
305
#16,043 all-time among girls
First recorded
1995
in Social Security records

Ilham popularity over time

305 babies have been named Ilham since 1995, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
00.010.010.0218801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – – – – – –
1970s – – – – – –
1980s – – – – – –
1990s 20 – 20 2 – #9,794
2000s 78 5 83 8 +315% #8,429
2010s 92 – 92 9 +11% #8,158
2020s (to 2025) 82 28 110 18 +99% #6,645

The story of Ilham

Ilham is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #6,645 in 2025 with 17 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1995, 305 American babies have been named Ilham, about 89% girls and 11% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2025, when 28 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Ilham stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Ilham?

The median living Ilham is about 10 years old; half are between 3 and 19. An estimated 300 people named Ilham are alive in the United States today.

median 10 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Ilham year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 17 #6,645 11 #7,359
2024 13 #8,143 – –
2023 14 #7,792 8 #9,234
2022 13 #8,231 9 #8,573
2021 15 #7,405 – –
2020 10 #9,813 – –
2019 8 #11,777 – –
2018 13 #8,317 – –
2017 7 #13,240 – –
2016 14 #8,158 – –
2015 11 #9,731 – –
2014 10 #10,455 – –
2013 7 #13,711 – –
2012 – – – –
2011 12 #9,372 – –
2010 10 #10,722 – –
2009 10 #10,970 – –
2008 13 #9,163 – –
2007 – – – –
2006 12 #9,519 – –
2005 13 #8,518 – –
2004 13 #8,429 – –
2003 – – – –
2002 8 #11,505 5 #11,342
2001 9 #10,411 – –
2000 – – – –
1995 5 #14,260 – –
1990 – – – –
1985 – – – –
1980 – – – –
1975 – – – –
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Ilham

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Ilham Aliyev Ilham Aliyev President of Azerbaijan since 2003 b. 1961 · Contemporary
  2. 2 Ilham Tohti Ilham Tohti Chinese economist and activist b. 1969 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Ilham, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Ilham?

The median living Ilham is about 10 years old. Half of all living Ilhams are between 3 and 19 years old.

How many people named Ilham are alive today?

An estimated 300 people named Ilham are alive in the United States, based on 305 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Ilham mean?

Ilham (إلهام) is a unisex name that derives from the Arabic word for inspiration.

How popular is the name Ilham in 2025?

Ilham ranked #6,645 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 17 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Ilham?

305 babies have been named Ilham in the United States since 1995, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Ilham most popular?

Ilham peaked in 2025, when 28 newborns received the name.

Is Ilham a boy or girl name?

Ilham is used for both: about 89% of babies named Ilham have been girls and 11% boys.

Is the name Ilham rising or falling?

Ilham is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Ilham?

Well-known people named Ilham include Ilham Aliyev (politician), Ilham Tohti (economist).

Names like Ilham

Names that sound and feel close to Ilham: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Ilham with similar names → More names starting with I →