Ila
Ila was the 718th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 390 babies. Its best year was 1903, when it ranked 237th; the most babies were born in 1925 (642). Over the last ten years it has moved up 468 places. More babies were named Ila in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Sanskrit
Say it EE-luh /ˈilə/
- Rank in 2025
- #718 girls, up 148 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 390girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1925642 babies
- Total since 1880
- 25,120babies recorded
What does the name Ila mean?
Ila has more than one source. In India it is a Sanskrit name: Wiktionary records Ila as a girls' name from Sanskrit ila, a word with senses including earth and speech, and as the name of a figure in Hindu tradition who changes between man and woman. Ila was also an American girls' name in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and Wiktionary lists a separate use as a boys' name, but no source consulted explains these older American uses.
इला (Sanskrit, “earth; speech; also a Hindu mythological figure”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The Indian name is Sanskrit; the origin of the older American name is not documented.
See also: Sanskrit and Indian names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ila', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'इला', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Ila (Hinduism)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (usage history only), US Social Security Administration
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Ila popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 60 since 1916.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #718 | 390 |
| 2020 | #866 | 311 |
| 2010 | #1,458 | 155 |
| 2000 | #3,477 | 38 |
| 1990 | #4,157 | 24 |
| 1980 | #3,087 | 28 |
| 1970 | #2,880 | 24 |
| 1960 | #1,459 | 57 |
| 1950 | #748 | 133 |
| 1940 | #460 | 212 |
| 1930 | #312 | 451 |
| 1920 | #274 | 561 |
| 1910 | #275 | 199 |
| 1900 | #241 | 177 |
| 1890 | #318 | 63 |
| 1880 | #438 | 15 |
How popular is Ila, counting every spelling?
Ila is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #638 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #718 for Ila on its own. Together these spellings went to 454 girls in 2025.
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Ila?
390 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ila (0.11 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Ila born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 22 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ila.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ila?
About 8,700 people born in the US named Ila are alive today, with a median age of 17; half are between 6 and 72. That makes Ila mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Ila by state
How common Ila was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Iowa (3.9×), Utah (3.4×), Idaho (2.9×), Wisconsin (2.6×), Nebraska (2.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Jersey, Connecticut, New York.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ila: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ila, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Ila · Sibling names for Ila
Questions about the name Ila
What does Ila mean?
The origin of Ila is uncertain: the Indian name is Sanskrit; the origin of the older American name is not documented.
How popular is the name Ila?
Ila was the 718th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 390 babies. Its best year was 1903, when it ranked 237th; the most babies were born in 1925 (642). Over the last ten years it has moved up 468 places. More babies were named Ila in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Ila a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Ila in the US.
Where is Ila most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ila was most common in Iowa (1.01 per 1,000 girls), followed by Utah and North Dakota.