Ilya
A male given name from Russian.
Every Ilya since 1961 — 1,226 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Ilya
Ilya is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,153 in 2025 with 38 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1961, 1,226 American babies have been named Ilya — about 79% boys and 21% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2018, when 65 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
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 Ilya stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Ilya 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 | 26 | #5,027 | 38 | #3,153 |
| 2024 | 16 | #7,058 | 32 | #3,554 |
| 2023 | 21 | #5,829 | 34 | #3,446 |
| 2022 | 14 | #7,780 | 27 | #4,031 |
| 2021 | 25 | #5,146 | 38 | #3,146 |
| 2020 | 19 | #6,167 | 38 | #3,044 |
| 2019 | 13 | #8,300 | 38 | #3,121 |
| 2018 | 17 | #6,914 | 48 | #2,623 |
| 2017 | 6 | #14,814 | 32 | #3,480 |
| 2016 | 15 | #7,749 | 27 | #3,922 |
| 2015 | 7 | #13,541 | 36 | #3,182 |
| 2014 | 11 | #9,777 | 31 | #3,492 |
| 2013 | 8 | #12,434 | 34 | #3,225 |
| 2012 | 9 | #11,633 | 40 | #2,923 |
| 2011 | — | — | 42 | #2,822 |
| 2010 | 8 | #12,742 | 32 | #3,402 |
| 2009 | 9 | #11,835 | 28 | #3,763 |
| 2008 | 5 | #18,577 | 22 | #4,451 |
| 2007 | — | — | 30 | #3,542 |
| 2006 | — | — | 26 | #3,828 |
| 2005 | — | — | 31 | #3,275 |
| 2004 | — | — | 19 | #4,482 |
| 2003 | — | — | 32 | #3,018 |
| 2002 | 9 | #10,543 | 14 | #5,227 |
| 2001 | — | — | 21 | #3,893 |
| 2000 | — | — | 24 | #3,462 |
| 1995 | — | — | 8 | #6,617 |
| 1990 | — | — | — | — |
| 1985 | — | — | — | — |
| 1980 | 7 | #8,470 | — | — |
| 1975 | — | — | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — | — | — |
| 1965 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1955 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1945 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Ilya
- Ilya Repin Painter · 1844–1930
- Ilya Prigogine Chemist · 1917–2003
- Ilya Ehrenburg Writer · 1891–1967
- Ilya Frank Physicist · 1908–1990
- Ilya Ulyanov Social activist · 1831–1886
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Ilya mean?
A male given name from Russian.
How popular is the name Ilya in 2025?
Ilya ranked #3,153 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 38 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Ilya?
1,226 babies have been named Ilya in the United States since 1961, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Ilya most popular?
Ilya peaked in 2018, when 65 newborns received the name.
Is Ilya a boy or girl name?
Ilya is used for both: about 21% of babies named Ilya have been girls and 79% boys.
Is the name Ilya rising or falling?
Ilya has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Ilya?
Well-known people named Ilya include Ilya Repin (painter), Ilya Prigogine (chemist), Ilya Ehrenburg (writer).