Ilana
Ilana was the 2496th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 71 babies. Its best year was 1987, when it ranked 1184th; the most babies were born in 1992 (135). Over the last ten years it has moved down 229 places. More babies were named Ilana in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Elaina) variant of Elaine (Helen) · Greek, French
- Rank in 2025
- #2,496 girls, down 269 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 71girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1992135 babies
- Total since 1880
- 5,678babies recorded
What does the name Ilana mean?
Ilana is a spelling of Elaina, pronounced the same way, so it shares Elaina's meaning and origin.
Elaina is a modern spelling variant of Elaine, according to Wiktionary. Elaine is the Old French form of Helen that spread through the Arthurian romances, as DMNES notes in its Ellen entry. Helen goes back to Greek Helenē, whose ultimate origin is uncertain; the often-repeated link with Greek words for "torch" or "light" is not established. Elaina, like Elena and Alaina, is mainly a 20th-century American spelling.
Ἑλένη (Ancient Greek, “Helen (origin uncertain)”)
How sure is this? Well established. Elaina as a variant of Elaine is clear; the meaning of the root name Helen is uncertain.
Other explanations you may read: Helen means 'light' or 'torch'.
Related names: Elaine, Elena, Alaina, Helen.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Elaina', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Ellen', DMNES, Durham University
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Ilana popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,496 | 71 |
| 2020 | #2,227 | 81 |
| 2010 | #2,207 | 88 |
| 2000 | #1,536 | 118 |
| 1990 | #1,301 | 125 |
| 1980 | #1,518 | 78 |
| 1970 | #2,134 | 38 |
| 1960 | #3,139 | 16 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Ilana, counting every spelling?
Ilana is a spelling of Elaina, a name family that ranked #225 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,496 for Ilana on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,536 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elaina | 1,176 | #267 | 6,005 |
| Elayna | 171 | #1,301 | 880 |
| Ilana | 71 | #2,496 | 419 |
| Eleina | 33 | #4,287 | 156 |
| Ilona | 38 | #3,861 | 124 |
| Ellaina | 10 | #9,635 | 81 |
| Elainna | 10 | #9,629 | 44 |
| Elainah | 6 | #13,677 | 34 |
| Ellayna | 5 | #15,574 | 32 |
| Elaena | 7 | #12,262 | 32 |
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 Ilana?
71 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ilana (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Ilana 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 118 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ilana.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ilana?
About 5,500 people born in the US named Ilana are alive today, with a median age of 29; half are between 17 and 40. That makes Ilana mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Ilana by state
How common Ilana was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New York (2.5×). In 42 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ilana: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ilana, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Ilana
What does Ilana mean?
Ilana is a spelling of Elaina, which means “variant of Elaine (Helen)” (Greek, French origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Ilana?
Ilana was the 2496th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 71 babies. Its best year was 1987, when it ranked 1184th; the most babies were born in 1992 (135). Over the last ten years it has moved down 229 places. More babies were named Ilana in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Ilana a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Ilana in the US.
Where is Ilana most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ilana was most common in New York (0.13 per 1,000 girls), followed by New Jersey and Pennsylvania.