Fun Facts About the Name Illyana
- 706 babies named Illyana: U.S. records list 706 babies given the name Illyana from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Illyana Mean?
Illyana is mainly a respelling of the feminine name Iliana, so its meaning depends on how that older name is explained. Iliana is used in Greek and in English, and it is most often glossed as "sun" or "light," by association with the Greek word hēlios (sun). A second explanation treats it as the feminine of the Greek Ilias (Elias, the prophet Elijah), which would give the sense "my God is Yahweh," from Hebrew Eliyahu. Which of the two is the original sense is not settled. The similar Hebrew name Ilana (אילנה), from īlan, "tree," is a distinct name rather than a source of Illyana.
Illyana Name History & Origins
Behind the spelling Illyana are older names that developed in different languages, so the history runs along more than one track. In Greek, Iliana (Ηλιάνα) is the feminine counterpart of Ilias (Ηλίας), the Greek form of the prophet Elijah; the same biblical name lies behind the South Slavic feminine Iliyana (Илияна), from Iliya (Илия), used in Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Serbia. In Hebrew, the unrelated Ilana is formed from the everyday word for a tree and is a familiar modern Israeli name.
English speakers have adopted and respelled these names in various ways, among them Iliana, Eliana, Illiana, and Illyana. The doubled l in Illyana is a spelling choice; it makes the name resemble Illyria, the ancient region on the Adriatic, though the two are unconnected. A well-known modern use of this exact spelling is Illyana Rasputin, the Russian mutant called Magik in Marvel Comics; her name follows the Slavic feminine pattern rather than establishing where the name came from.
How Popular is the Name Illyana?
Illyana 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 2012. Its best rank was #4,164 in 2012.
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 | #4,697 | 29 | 0.0018% |
| 2024 | #5,058 | 26 | 0.0016% |
| 2023 | #5,044 | 26 | 0.0016% |
| 2022 | #5,220 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 2021 | #4,891 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 2020 | #5,376 | 23 | 0.0014% |
| 2019 | #10,017 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2018 | #5,865 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2017 | #4,429 | 32 | 0.0019% |
| 2016 | #5,049 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 2015 | #5,357 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 2014 | #4,821 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 2013 | #4,687 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 2012 | #4,164 | 36 | 0.0020% |
| 2011 | #4,396 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 2010 | #6,743 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2009 | #4,303 | 35 | 0.0019% |
| 2008 | #4,800 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 2007 | #5,434 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2006 | #4,721 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 2005 | #4,626 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 2004 | #7,978 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2003 | #8,174 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2002 | #9,072 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2001 | #8,394 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2000 | #5,789 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1999 | #11,840 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1998 | #8,837 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1997 | #8,582 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1996 | #7,779 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1994 | #7,274 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1993 | #9,918 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #14,067 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #13,111 | 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 Illyana 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 always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Illyana's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Illyana's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.