Fun Facts About the Name Ila
- More than 25 thousand babies named Ila: U.S. records list 25,117 babies given the name Ila from 1880 through 2025. Even 60 boys received the name Ila - about 1 boy for every 418 girls.
What Does the Name Ila Mean?
Ila is a feminine name whose best-established origin is Sanskrit. The Sanskrit word ilā (इला) means 'earth' and 'speech.' It can also mean 'refreshment' or 'flow.' In Vedic tradition, Ilā is a goddess of speech, and the name is used in India with these meanings. These are literal senses of the Sanskrit noun, not later symbolic additions. Ila is not related to the Scottish name Isla, which comes from the island of Islay. In Hungarian, Ila is a short form of Ilona, the Hungarian form of Helen, but that is a separate, nickname-based use rather than an independent meaning of Ila.
Ila Name History & Origins
Ila comes from Sanskrit Ilā, a word and name found in ancient Indian texts. In the Rigveda, Ilā is one of the goddesses invoked with Sarasvatī and Mahī. In later Hindu mythology, she is the daughter of Manu and the wife of Budha, the planet Mercury; their son Purūravas is a legendary king of the Lunar dynasty. One Puranic account says Ilā was transformed into a man, Sudyumna, and later restored to female form as Ilā, which explains her place in some genealogies. The name passed into modern Indian languages as Ila and is used by Hindu families. In English-speaking countries, Ila has been used as a given name, but its route into English is not clearly documented. It may have entered through the Sanskrit name or through similar-sounding European names. In Hungarian, Ila developed separately as a diminutive of Ilona. It should not be confused with Isla.
How Popular is the Name Ila?
Ila recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1925. Its best rank was #237 in 1903.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #718 | 390 | 0.0243% |
| 2024 | #679 | 419 | 0.0260% |
| 2023 | #622 | 480 | 0.0300% |
| 2022 | #683 | 428 | 0.0261% |
| 2021 | #760 | 376 | 0.0229% |
| 2020 | #865 | 311 | 0.0193% |
| 2019 | #1,032 | 249 | 0.0148% |
| 2018 | #1,265 | 183 | 0.0108% |
| 2017 | #1,100 | 230 | 0.0133% |
| 2016 | #1,230 | 199 | 0.0112% |
| 2015 | #1,186 | 213 | 0.0119% |
| 2014 | #1,199 | 203 | 0.0114% |
| 2013 | #1,542 | 142 | 0.0081% |
| 2012 | #1,498 | 150 | 0.0085% |
| 2011 | #1,656 | 129 | 0.0073% |
| 2010 | #1,458 | 155 | 0.0087% |
| 2009 | #1,763 | 124 | 0.0068% |
| 2008 | #1,934 | 109 | 0.0058% |
| 2007 | #2,230 | 88 | 0.0046% |
| 2006 | #2,155 | 90 | 0.0047% |
| 2005 | #2,389 | 74 | 0.0040% |
| 2004 | #2,721 | 60 | 0.0033% |
| 2003 | #2,811 | 55 | 0.0030% |
| 2002 | #3,260 | 43 | 0.0024% |
| 2001 | #2,645 | 57 | 0.0032% |
| 2000 | #3,477 | 38 | 0.0021% |
| 1999 | #3,341 | 38 | 0.0021% |
| 1998 | #4,415 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1997 | #3,935 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 1996 | #3,668 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 1995 | #5,783 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1994 | #4,162 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1993 | #5,769 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1992 | #5,126 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1991 | #5,063 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1990 | #4,157 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1989 | #5,382 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1988 | #4,921 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1987 | #3,051 | 31 | 0.0018% |
| 1986 | #4,082 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1985 | #4,709 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1984 | #3,011 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 1983 | #3,726 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 1982 | #3,454 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 1981 | #3,558 | 23 | 0.0014% |
| 1980 | #3,087 | 28 | 0.0017% |
| 1979 | #2,689 | 33 | 0.0021% |
| 1978 | #2,963 | 27 | 0.0018% |
| 1977 | #2,738 | 30 | 0.0020% |
| 1976 | #2,954 | 25 | 0.0017% |
| 1975 | #2,476 | 32 | 0.0022% |
| 1974 | #2,784 | 26 | 0.0018% |
| 1973 | #2,941 | 23 | 0.0016% |
| 1972 | #2,622 | 27 | 0.0018% |
| 1971 | #2,265 | 35 | 0.0021% |
| 1970 | #2,879 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 1969 | #1,964 | 41 | 0.0024% |
| 1968 | #2,007 | 36 | 0.0022% |
| 1967 | #1,623 | 49 | 0.0030% |
| 1966 | #1,746 | 42 | 0.0025% |
| 1965 | #1,926 | 36 | 0.0020% |
| 1964 | #1,540 | 55 | 0.0029% |
| 1963 | #1,632 | 49 | 0.0025% |
| 1962 | #1,327 | 70 | 0.0036% |
| 1961 | #1,308 | 72 | 0.0036% |
| 1960 | #1,459 | 57 | 0.0028% |
| 1959 | #1,258 | 73 | 0.0036% |
| 1958 | #1,124 | 89 | 0.0044% |
| 1957 | #1,077 | 94 | 0.0046% |
| 1956 | #1,134 | 83 | 0.0041% |
| 1955 | #1,085 | 87 | 0.0044% |
| 1954 | #1,096 | 81 | 0.0042% |
| 1953 | #782 | 137 | 0.0073% |
| 1952 | #739 | 144 | 0.0078% |
| 1951 | #847 | 112 | 0.0062% |
| 1950 | #748 | 133 | 0.0078% |
| 1949 | #779 | 123 | 0.0072% |
| 1948 | #697 | 143 | 0.0084% |
| 1947 | #622 | 183 | 0.0103% |
| 1946 | #653 | 147 | 0.0094% |
| 1945 | #595 | 151 | 0.0116% |
| 1944 | #554 | 172 | 0.0130% |
| 1943 | #546 | 189 | 0.0135% |
| 1942 | #493 | 229 | 0.0170% |
| 1941 | #475 | 217 | 0.0180% |
| 1940 | #460 | 212 | 0.0185% |
| 1939 | #429 | 247 | 0.0225% |
| 1938 | #388 | 299 | 0.0271% |
| 1937 | #362 | 320 | 0.0301% |
| 1936 | #359 | 310 | 0.0298% |
| 1935 | #360 | 312 | 0.0298% |
| 1934 | #326 | 367 | 0.0351% |
| 1933 | #320 | 379 | 0.0376% |
| 1932 | #305 | 427 | 0.0400% |
| 1931 | #308 | 427 | 0.0401% |
| 1930 | #312 | 451 | 0.0401% |
| 1929 | #302 | 481 | 0.0431% |
| 1928 | #286 | 524 | 0.0454% |
| 1927 | #291 | 531 | 0.0445% |
| 1926 | #303 | 487 | 0.0411% |
| 1925 | #261 | 642 | 0.0527% |
| 1924 | #275 | 577 | 0.0462% |
| 1923 | #282 | 524 | 0.0434% |
| 1922 | #270 | 576 | 0.0480% |
| 1921 | #265 | 623 | 0.0505% |
| 1920 | #274 | 561 | 0.0468% |
| 1919 | #271 | 549 | 0.0486% |
| 1918 | #269 | 564 | 0.0487% |
| 1917 | #277 | 494 | 0.0457% |
| 1916 | #267 | 513 | 0.0491% |
| 1915 | #278 | 451 | 0.0458% |
| 1914 | #267 | 376 | 0.0494% |
| 1913 | #282 | 279 | 0.0447% |
| 1912 | #271 | 274 | 0.0491% |
| 1911 | #250 | 243 | 0.0581% |
| 1910 | #275 | 199 | 0.0502% |
| 1909 | #253 | 200 | 0.0576% |
| 1908 | #248 | 196 | 0.0586% |
| 1907 | #273 | 162 | 0.0509% |
| 1906 | #277 | 146 | 0.0494% |
| 1905 | #250 | 166 | 0.0569% |
| 1904 | #264 | 143 | 0.0519% |
| 1903 | #237 | 160 | 0.0611% |
| 1902 | #248 | 154 | 0.0583% |
| 1901 | #244 | 138 | 0.0577% |
| 1900 | #241 | 177 | 0.0590% |
| 1899 | #269 | 113 | 0.0485% |
| 1898 | #288 | 114 | 0.0441% |
| 1897 | #260 | 119 | 0.0508% |
| 1896 | #254 | 126 | 0.0530% |
| 1895 | #286 | 97 | 0.0415% |
| 1894 | #259 | 112 | 0.0502% |
| 1893 | #272 | 97 | 0.0456% |
| 1892 | #277 | 93 | 0.0438% |
| 1891 | #295 | 72 | 0.0388% |
| 1890 | #318 | 63 | 0.0331% |
| 1889 | #338 | 54 | 0.0303% |
| 1888 | #343 | 49 | 0.0274% |
| 1887 | #326 | 43 | 0.0295% |
| 1886 | #313 | 45 | 0.0311% |
| 1885 | #314 | 42 | 0.0316% |
| 1884 | #372 | 29 | 0.0225% |
| 1883 | #315 | 32 | 0.0285% |
| 1882 | #352 | 25 | 0.0232% |
| 1881 | #378 | 20 | 0.0218% |
| 1880 | #438 | 15 | 0.0165% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | #3,788 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1930 | #4,259 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1925 | #3,563 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1924 | #4,099 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1923 | #4,530 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1920 | #4,036 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1919 | #4,463 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1918 | #3,523 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1917 | #4,258 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1916 | #2,817 | 9 | 0.0010% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Ila Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Your tendency is to finish whatever you start. You like to use the pen or the needle (writing, fashion design etc). You are loving, compassionate, intuitive and humanitarian. Runs of luck, either good or bad, follow you. You are sympathetic, but at times might be touchy and oversensitive. You may have a gift for writing. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.
✦ Ila's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ila's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.