Fun Facts About the Name Ileah
- 286 babies named Ileah: U.S. records list 286 babies given the name Ileah from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Ileah Mean?
Ileah is a rare feminine given name used in English-speaking countries, and its meaning is not securely established. The explanation most often given is that it is a spelling variant of Aliyah (also Aaliyah), a Hebrew name from the root ʿ-l-h, "to go up" or "ascend." In Jewish practice the related noun refers to the honor of being called up to read from the Torah, and in modern Hebrew it means immigration to Israel. If the link to Aliyah is real, the name's sense would be "ascending" or "exalted." That link rests on similarity of sound and spelling rather than on documented use of Ileah as a form of Aliyah, so it is a probable explanation rather than a certain one. Suggestions that the name is instead related to Ilia or Ileana have even less support.
Ileah Name History & Origins
Ileah is uncommon and appears chiefly in English-speaking countries. The name is built on the familiar feminine name Leah with an added initial I, in the manner of names such as Aleah and Jaleah. It is also commonly listed as a variant spelling of the Hebrew Aliyah, a word meaning "ascent" that was adopted as a personal name mainly in the 20th century and whose respelling Aaliyah is also used in English. Whether Ileah grew out of that Hebrew name or arose independently within the Leah group is not settled.
How Popular is the Name Ileah?
Ileah 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 1981. Its best rank was #4,603 in 1981.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | #14,149 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #10,240 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2016 | #13,428 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2015 | #12,265 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2014 | #13,614 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #11,360 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2012 | #11,629 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2011 | #15,542 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #11,623 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2009 | #9,083 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2008 | #16,150 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #14,477 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #10,888 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2005 | #9,698 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2003 | #14,541 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #14,170 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #11,117 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1999 | #13,282 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #10,467 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1997 | #11,270 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1996 | #6,875 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1995 | #8,311 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1994 | #12,350 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1993 | #7,704 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1992 | #12,320 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #10,606 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #7,588 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1986 | #11,576 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #11,277 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #7,641 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1983 | #7,547 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1982 | #4,784 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1981 | #4,603 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1980 | #7,652 | 8 | 0.0005% |
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.
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with I
Short Girl Names That Start with I
How the Name Ileah 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.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Ileah's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ileah's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.