Ilona: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#3,861

among girls · ↑954 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Ilona · +36% vs 2024

How common

1 in 42,297

girls born in 2025

Peak year

1946

102 babies

All-time total

3,332

#3,365 all-time among girls

First recorded

1909

in Social Security records

Ilona popularity over time

3,332 babies have been named Ilona since 1909, 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

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	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	5	1	–	#2,362
1910s	77	8	+1440%	#2,143
1920s	106	11	+38%	#2,064
1930s	113	11	+7%	#1,386
1940s	738	74	+553%	#821
1950s	571	57	-23%	#1,086
1960s	374	37	-35%	#1,584
1970s	259	26	-31%	#2,058
1980s	174	17	-33%	#3,358
1990s	209	21	+20%	#3,655
2000s	282	28	+35%	#3,903
2010s	276	28	-2%	#4,099
2020s (to 2025)	148	25	-11%	#3,861

Where Ilona is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	38	0.02	outside top 500
2027	39	0.02	outside top 500
2028	39	0.02	outside top 500
2029	40	0.02	outside top 500
2030	40	0.02	outside top 500

The story of Ilona

Ilona is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #3,861 in 2025 with 38 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1909, 3,332 American babies have been named Ilona. Its peak came in 1946, when 102 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1940s.

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 Ilona stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Ilona?

The median living Ilona is about 55 years old; half are between 24 and 73. An estimated 2,600 people named Ilona are alive in the United States today.

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

Ilona year by year

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

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	38	#3,861
2024	28	#4,815
2023	17	#6,769
2022	22	#5,704
2021	19	#6,262
2020	24	#5,222
2019	30	#4,585
2018	29	#4,702
2017	28	#4,855
2016	35	#4,192
2015	36	#4,099
2014	19	#6,551
2013	22	#5,896
2012	26	#5,307
2011	24	#5,625
2010	27	#5,160
2009	22	#6,184
2008	32	#4,690
2007	33	#4,504
2006	26	#5,291
2005	37	#3,903
2004	34	#4,125
2003	23	#5,297
2002	27	#4,545
2001	21	#5,433
2000	27	#4,453
1995	22	#4,576
1990	29	#3,655
1985	16	#4,710
1980	23	#3,543
1975	28	#2,701
1970	40	#2,058
1965	34	#2,010
1960	35	#1,937
1955	43	#1,560
1950	72	#1,086
1945	56	#1,041
1940	75	#824
1935	8	#3,282
1930	11	#2,760
1925	8	#3,841
1920	8	#3,768
1915	9	#2,994
1910	6	#2,268
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Famous people named Ilona

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

1 Ilona Staller Hungarian-Italian former pornographic actress, politician, and singer (born 1951) Contemporary
2 Ilona Massey Hungarian film, stage and radio performer 1910–1974 · Contemporary
3 Ilona Slupianek East German shot putter (born 1956) Contemporary
4 Ilona Zrínyi Hungarian-Croatian noblewoman 1643–1703 · 17th century
5 Ilona Elek Hungarian fencer 1907–1988 · Contemporary
6 Ilona Korstin Russian basketball player (born 1980) Contemporary
7 Ilona Gusenbauer Austrian high jumper b. 1947 · Contemporary
8 Ilona Novák Hungarian swimmer (1925–2019) Contemporary
9 Ilona Usovich Belarusian sprinter b. 1982 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Ilona?

The median living Ilona is about 55 years old. Half of all living Ilonas are between 24 and 73 years old.

How many people named Ilona are alive today?

An estimated 2,600 people named Ilona are alive in the United States, based on 3,332 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Ilona mean?

From Hungarian Ilona. A rare variant of Helen or Helena.

How popular is the name Ilona in 2025?

Ilona ranked #3,861 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 38 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Ilona?

3,332 babies have been named Ilona in the United States since 1909, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Ilona most popular?

Ilona peaked in 1946, when 102 newborns received the name.

Is Ilona a boy or girl name?

Ilona is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Ilona rising or falling?

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

Will Ilona become more popular?

Ilona looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 40 girls named Ilona in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Ilona?

Well-known people named Ilona include Ilona Staller (pornographic actor), Ilona Massey (actor), Ilona Slupianek (athlete).

Names like Ilona

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

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