Fun Facts About the Name Ilias
- More than 1 thousand babies named Ilias: U.S. records list 1,019 babies given the name Ilias from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Ilias Mean?
Ilias is the Modern Greek form of the biblical name Elijah, and its established meaning is "my God is Yahweh." It goes back to the Hebrew Eliyahu (אֱלִיָּהוּ), formed from El ("God") and a shortened form of the divine name YHWH. In the Greek Old Testament and the New Testament the prophet is called Ēlias (Ἠλίας); Modern Greek keeps the same name as Ηλίας, with the stress on the second syllable. Ilias is therefore a variant of Elias and shares that name's Hebrew origin rather than having an independent one of its own.
Ilias Name History & Origins
The Hebrew name Eliyahu entered Greek through the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible begun in the 3rd century BCE, where the prophet appears as Ēlias (Ἠλίας). The New Testament uses the same Greek form, and Elijah is a major figure in both Jewish and Christian tradition. Across the Byzantine period and later Greek, the spelling and pronunciation settled into Ilias (Ηλίας).
The name is common in Greece and Cyprus and among Greek communities abroad, where it is tied to the prophet Elijah, known in Greek as Προφήτης Ηλίας. The Greek form also lies behind names in other languages, among them Russian Ilya, Arabic Ilyas, Turkish İlyas, and Albanian Ilia.
Ilias should not be confused with the similar-looking Greek word Ilias (Ἰλιάς), the title of Homer's Iliad, which comes from Ilion, another name for Troy, and has a different origin.
How Popular is the Name Ilias?
Ilias 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 2024. Its best rank was #2,190 in 2024.
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 | #2,316 | 60 | 0.0035% |
| 2024 | #2,190 | 66 | 0.0038% |
| 2023 | #3,657 | 31 | 0.0018% |
| 2022 | #4,128 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 2021 | #3,263 | 36 | 0.0021% |
| 2020 | #2,996 | 39 | 0.0023% |
| 2019 | #2,639 | 49 | 0.0027% |
| 2018 | #2,365 | 56 | 0.0031% |
| 2017 | #2,770 | 44 | 0.0024% |
| 2016 | #3,319 | 34 | 0.0018% |
| 2015 | #3,729 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 2014 | #3,255 | 34 | 0.0018% |
| 2013 | #2,820 | 41 | 0.0022% |
| 2012 | #3,195 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 2011 | #3,388 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 2010 | #2,843 | 42 | 0.0022% |
| 2009 | #3,671 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 2008 | #2,904 | 41 | 0.0020% |
| 2007 | #2,836 | 42 | 0.0020% |
| 2006 | #3,254 | 33 | 0.0016% |
| 2005 | #3,193 | 32 | 0.0016% |
| 2004 | #3,570 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 2003 | #3,560 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 2002 | #3,715 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2001 | #3,769 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2000 | #4,115 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1999 | #5,140 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1998 | #4,741 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1997 | #5,812 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #5,705 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #6,106 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1983 | #5,766 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #5,641 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1975 | #5,814 | 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 Ilias 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.
✦ Ilias's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ilias's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.