Fun Facts About the Name Ilan
- More than 3 thousand babies named Ilan: U.S. records list 3,290 babies given the name Ilan from 1880 through 2025. Even 59 girls received the name Ilan - about 1 girl for every 55 boys.
What Does the Name Ilan Mean?
Ilan is a Hebrew masculine name meaning "tree." It is simply the Hebrew noun ilan (אִילָן), "tree," used as a personal name. The word belongs to a layer of vocabulary shared with Aramaic, where ilan (אִילָן) also means "tree"; the more common biblical Hebrew word for a tree is etz (עֵץ). Because the name is the ordinary noun itself, its meaning is literal rather than symbolic - it does not come from a phrase or a sentence-name that was later shortened.
Ilan Name History & Origins
The noun ilan is old in Jewish literature. It appears in the Aramaic portions of the book of Daniel, where a great tree is described in Nebuchadnezzar's dream, and it is used throughout the Talmud and midrash for trees and for the imagery built on them. Its use as a personal name, however, is modern. Ilan belongs to the body of Hebrew names drawn directly from Hebrew nouns - especially words for plants, animals, and natural features - that came into fashion as Hebrew was revived as a spoken language from the late nineteenth century onward and as Hebrew-speaking communities grew in Ottoman and later British-ruled Palestine and then in the State of Israel.
Because it is a plain Hebrew word, Ilan needs no translation for Hebrew speakers and is understood immediately as "tree." The feminine form Ilana (אִילָנָה) is built from the same noun, and the related Ilanit adds a further ending. The name should not be confused with unrelated names or places that happen to look similar, such as the Taiwanese place name Yilan.
How Popular is the Name Ilan?
Ilan has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2023. Its best rank was #1,133 in 2003.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | #14,093 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2019 | #12,969 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #16,825 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #11,211 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #17,477 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #10,450 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2009 | #18,357 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #18,570 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #14,476 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,445 | 124 | 0.0073% |
| 2024 | #1,444 | 125 | 0.0073% |
| 2023 | #1,259 | 153 | 0.0090% |
| 2022 | #1,656 | 104 | 0.0060% |
| 2021 | #1,381 | 133 | 0.0076% |
| 2020 | #1,350 | 132 | 0.0077% |
| 2019 | #1,423 | 123 | 0.0069% |
| 2018 | #1,549 | 109 | 0.0060% |
| 2017 | #1,470 | 115 | 0.0062% |
| 2016 | #1,547 | 107 | 0.0056% |
| 2015 | #1,592 | 101 | 0.0053% |
| 2014 | #1,755 | 86 | 0.0045% |
| 2013 | #1,677 | 89 | 0.0047% |
| 2012 | #1,630 | 95 | 0.0050% |
| 2011 | #1,639 | 93 | 0.0049% |
| 2010 | #1,769 | 84 | 0.0044% |
| 2009 | #1,608 | 99 | 0.0050% |
| 2008 | #1,586 | 100 | 0.0049% |
| 2007 | #1,389 | 118 | 0.0057% |
| 2006 | #1,881 | 72 | 0.0035% |
| 2005 | #1,930 | 66 | 0.0033% |
| 2004 | #1,767 | 71 | 0.0036% |
| 2003 | #1,133 | 134 | 0.0068% |
| 2002 | #2,843 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 2001 | #2,645 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 2000 | #2,311 | 42 | 0.0021% |
| 1999 | #2,280 | 40 | 0.0021% |
| 1998 | #2,575 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 1997 | #2,571 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 1996 | #2,269 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 1995 | #2,715 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 1994 | #2,275 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 1993 | #2,607 | 28 | 0.0014% |
| 1992 | #3,389 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1991 | #2,776 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 1990 | #2,815 | 23 | 0.0011% |
| 1989 | #2,643 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 1988 | #2,796 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 1987 | #2,189 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 1986 | #2,634 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1985 | #2,759 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1984 | #2,119 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1983 | #1,978 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 1982 | #2,546 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1981 | #2,231 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1980 | #2,774 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1979 | #4,199 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1978 | #2,603 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1977 | #2,969 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1976 | #2,280 | 20 | 0.0013% |
| 1975 | #2,686 | 15 | 0.0010% |
| 1974 | #2,604 | 15 | 0.0010% |
| 1973 | #2,643 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1972 | #2,900 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1971 | #3,779 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1970 | #2,674 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1969 | #3,174 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1968 | #3,494 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1967 | #3,098 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1966 | #4,194 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1965 | #4,153 | 5 | 0.0003% |
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 Ilan 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.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Ilan's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ilan's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.