Fun Facts About the Name Illona
- 251 babies named Illona: U.S. records list 251 babies given the name Illona from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Illona Mean?
Illona is a spelling variant of Ilona, the Hungarian form of Helen. The ultimate source is the Greek name Helene, and the meaning of that Greek name is not securely known. Ancient and later writers linked it to Greek helane, meaning "torch," and some also connected it with selene, "moon." From these came the customary sense "torch" or "light," but this is a traditional interpretation rather than a settled etymology; other scholars treat Helene as a pre-Greek name whose original sense has been lost. Because Illona simply respells Ilona, it carries that same uncertain meaning and has no separate derivation of its own.
Illona Name History & Origins
Ilona entered Hungarian through Latin Helena. That Latin name belonged to the mother of the emperor Constantine, honored in Christian tradition as the finder of the True Cross, and devotion to her helped spread Helena and its vernacular forms across medieval Europe. In Hungarian, Helena took the form Ilona, which became a common given name there. The same form was also adopted in several neighboring languages of Central and Eastern Europe, including Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Czech, and Slovak.
The spelling Illona, with a doubled l, is a variant of Ilona rather than an independent name. It does not correspond to a distinct Hungarian or Greek form; it is a respelling used in English-speaking countries and elsewhere. Hungarian folklore also includes the figure known as Tündér Ilona, "Fairy Ilona," who appears in folk tales. That is a traditional and literary use of the name, not the source from which it came.
How Popular is the Name Illona?
Illona 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 1946. Its best rank was #1,935 in 1946.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | #8,740 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1970 | #8,456 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1966 | #6,068 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1964 | #7,158 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #6,722 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1959 | #4,779 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1956 | #4,608 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1955 | #5,455 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1954 | #3,216 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1953 | #2,735 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1952 | #2,972 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1951 | #2,521 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1950 | #2,823 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1949 | #2,780 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1948 | #3,047 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1947 | #2,233 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1946 | #1,935 | 23 | 0.0015% |
| 1945 | #2,811 | 11 | 0.0008% |
| 1944 | #2,839 | 11 | 0.0008% |
| 1943 | #1,966 | 20 | 0.0014% |
| 1942 | #2,588 | 13 | 0.0010% |
| 1940 | #4,640 | 5 | 0.0004% |
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
How the Name Illona 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.
✦ Illona's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Illona's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.