Fun Facts About the Name Ilean
- 965 babies named Ilean: U.S. records list 965 babies given the name Ilean from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Ilean Mean?
Ilean is a rare English spelling of Eileen, which comes from Irish Eibhlín. Eibhlín is generally explained as the Irish development of Aveline, a Norman French diminutive of the Germanic name Ava. The root of Ava is disputed: one common explanation connects it with a Germanic element meaning "desired," while other proposals tie it to a word for "water." Because that root is not settled, the literal meaning of Eileen and of Ilean is best described as uncertain.
Alongside this etymology, Irish Eibhlín has long been used as the Irish equivalent of Helen, and that pairing is the source of the familiar explanation of the name as "light" or "bright, shining one," from Greek helenē, "torch, light." This is a customary interpretation rather than a demonstrable derivation. The spelling Ilean does not alter the sense; it is one of several English renderings of the same name, alongside Aileen, Ilene, and Eileen.
Ilean Name History & Origins
Aveline was a common name among the Normans, and it was carried to Ireland during the Norman settlement that began in the late twelfth century. Irish speakers reshaped it to suit Gaelic sound patterns, producing Eibhlín. Because Eibhlín was also used in Irish as the counterpart of Helen, the two names were treated as equivalents in bilingual and translating usage, which is how the association with "light" entered English accounts of the name.
The English spellings Eileen and Aileen arose as anglicizations of Eibhlín, and Ilean belongs to that same group of spellings rather than to a separate name with its own origin. It is not related to the similar-looking Romanian and Italian name Ileana, which descends from Elena and ultimately from Helen; the resemblance is coincidental.
How Popular is the Name Ilean?
Ilean 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 1926. Its best rank was #1,188 in 1926.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | #14,045 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2009 | #18,358 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1971 | #8,782 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1968 | #7,417 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1967 | #7,158 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1966 | #5,461 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1964 | #6,285 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1963 | #6,133 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1962 | #5,504 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1961 | #4,102 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1960 | #4,009 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1959 | #3,903 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1958 | #5,677 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1957 | #4,035 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1956 | #4,012 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1955 | #3,022 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1954 | #3,215 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1953 | #4,059 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1952 | #2,534 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1951 | #3,822 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1950 | #2,599 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1949 | #2,454 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1948 | #2,640 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1947 | #3,554 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1946 | #2,345 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 1945 | #3,234 | 9 | 0.0007% |
| 1944 | #2,838 | 11 | 0.0008% |
| 1943 | #2,485 | 14 | 0.0010% |
| 1942 | #2,251 | 16 | 0.0012% |
| 1941 | #2,739 | 11 | 0.0009% |
| 1940 | #2,145 | 15 | 0.0013% |
| 1939 | #2,240 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1938 | #2,652 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1937 | #2,243 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1936 | #1,713 | 20 | 0.0019% |
| 1935 | #2,487 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1934 | #1,665 | 21 | 0.0020% |
| 1933 | #1,932 | 17 | 0.0017% |
| 1932 | #1,782 | 20 | 0.0019% |
| 1931 | #1,250 | 34 | 0.0032% |
| 1930 | #1,678 | 23 | 0.0020% |
| 1929 | #1,503 | 27 | 0.0024% |
| 1928 | #1,486 | 29 | 0.0025% |
| 1927 | #1,468 | 31 | 0.0026% |
| 1926 | #1,188 | 42 | 0.0035% |
| 1925 | #1,427 | 33 | 0.0027% |
| 1924 | #1,627 | 28 | 0.0022% |
| 1923 | #1,978 | 20 | 0.0017% |
| 1922 | #1,296 | 37 | 0.0031% |
| 1921 | #1,526 | 30 | 0.0024% |
| 1920 | #1,602 | 27 | 0.0023% |
| 1919 | #1,463 | 29 | 0.0026% |
| 1918 | #2,064 | 18 | 0.0016% |
| 1917 | #1,953 | 18 | 0.0017% |
| 1916 | #1,558 | 24 | 0.0023% |
| 1915 | #2,609 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1914 | #2,518 | 9 | 0.0012% |
| 1913 | #2,665 | 7 | 0.0011% |
| 1912 | #2,780 | 6 | 0.0011% |
| 1910 | #1,841 | 8 | 0.0020% |
| 1909 | #2,072 | 6 | 0.0017% |
| 1907 | #1,929 | 6 | 0.0019% |
| 1904 | #1,757 | 6 | 0.0022% |
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 Ilean 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 are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Ilean's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ilean's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.