Ilamae
An invented feminine name with possible Native American origins, potentially meaning "beloved".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Ilamae. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ilamae today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ilamae births was 1927 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ilamae. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ilamae. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1927
11 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
2021 SSA rank
#16,164
Tracked since 1912
Popularity
Ilamae: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ilamae from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 71 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ilamae by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ilamae during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ilamae
The name Ilamae is a unique and enigmatic one, with its origins shrouded in mystery. Some scholars believe it may have roots in ancient Sumerian or Akkadian languages, though concrete evidence is scant. Others speculate it could be a variation of the Hebrew name Ilana, meaning "tree" or "oak."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ilamae can be found in the annals of the Byzantine Empire, where a noblewoman by that name was mentioned in a chronicle from the 6th century AD. Unfortunately, little is known about her life or significance.
In the 12th century, an Ilamae was recorded as being a prominent abbess in a Cistercian monastery in what is now southern France. Her influence and leadership within the religious order were noted by contemporary historians.
Fast forward to the Renaissance period, and a renowned Italian painter named Ilamae Bianchini (1470-1528) gained recognition for her stunning frescoes adorning churches and palaces across northern Italy.
In the 19th century, Ilamae Delacroix (1813-1891) was a French author and poet whose works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition. Her poetry collections were widely acclaimed during her lifetime.
More recently, Ilamae Nguyen (1932-2005) was a Vietnamese-American activist who fought tirelessly for refugees' rights and advocated for greater understanding between Eastern and Western cultures.
While the name Ilamae remains relatively uncommon, its intriguing history and diverse bearers across time and place lend it a certain mystique and depth of character.
People
Ilamae + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ilamae as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ilamae: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ilamae?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ilamae going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Ilamae a common name?
We classify Ilamae as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 132 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ilamae most popular?
The single biggest year for Ilamae was 1927, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ilamae is about 47 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ilamae in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ilamae a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ilamae in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Ilamae still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ilamae in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ilamae can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Ilamae?
You can see how many Americans are named Ilamae on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.