Fun Facts About the Name Ilena
- 702 babies named Ilena: U.S. records list 702 babies given the name Ilena from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Ilena Mean?
Ilena is a feminine name generally treated as a variant of Elena, the Italian and Spanish form of the Greek name Helene (Ἑλένη). The Greek name is commonly connected to the word helenē, meaning "torch," and is widely interpreted as "light." That customary meaning is a later reading; the literal sense is closer to "torch." The deeper origin of Helene itself is disputed, with some scholars treating it as a pre-Greek name of uncertain derivation. Read this way, Ilena shares the meaning and root of its parent name rather than having an independent etymology.
Ilena Name History & Origins
Ilena sits within the extended group of names descended from the Greek Helene, which entered Latin as Helena and passed into the Romance languages as Elena. Italian and Spanish use Elena, Romanian has Ileana and Elena, and Slavic languages have related forms such as Jelena and Alena. Spellings that begin with I-, including Ilena, appear as regional variants within this tradition. The use of Elena and Helena in Eastern Europe and the Balkans was carried along by Christian naming, in which Saint Helena, mother of the emperor Constantine, was widely honored. Ilena is best understood as one of these variant spellings rather than as a name with a separate documented history.
How Popular is the Name Ilena?
Ilena 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 2008. Its best rank was #2,356 in 1931.
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 | #6,948 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 2024 | #9,140 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2023 | #6,504 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2022 | #8,224 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2021 | #10,591 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2020 | #8,604 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2019 | #7,493 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2018 | #10,894 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2017 | #8,015 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2016 | #9,089 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2015 | #12,266 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2014 | #8,656 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2013 | #8,759 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2012 | #8,827 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2011 | #10,673 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2010 | #9,440 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2009 | #8,612 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2008 | #6,217 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 2007 | #7,514 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2006 | #8,418 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2005 | #8,517 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2004 | #12,039 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #12,927 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2002 | #7,566 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2001 | #8,981 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2000 | #13,802 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #7,411 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1998 | #9,573 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1997 | #14,589 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #8,389 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1995 | #10,943 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1994 | #6,828 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1993 | #8,284 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1992 | #12,321 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #13,788 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #13,110 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #8,687 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #8,265 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1986 | #9,986 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #9,541 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #7,549 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1982 | #7,089 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #6,499 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1980 | #6,988 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1979 | #9,398 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1978 | #8,929 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1977 | #10,176 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1972 | #8,738 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1971 | #5,699 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1970 | #5,182 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1969 | #6,941 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1968 | #4,902 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1965 | #6,891 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #4,458 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1963 | #6,995 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1962 | #4,666 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1958 | #5,678 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1955 | #5,452 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1949 | #4,403 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1948 | #5,563 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1941 | #3,737 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1940 | #4,639 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1938 | #2,810 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1936 | #3,524 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1935 | #4,498 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1932 | #4,691 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1931 | #2,356 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1930 | #2,939 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1927 | #4,037 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1926 | #2,517 | 14 | 0.0012% |
| 1925 | #3,839 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1924 | #3,812 | 8 | 0.0006% |
| 1922 | #5,356 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1921 | #4,747 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1917 | #3,892 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1915 | #4,578 | 5 | 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.
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How the Name Ilena 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.
✦ Ilena's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ilena's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.