Ilithyia
A feminine name of Greek origin relating to the goddess of childbirth.
Name Census estimates that about 99 living Americans carry the first name Ilithyia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ilithyia today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ilithyia births was 2012 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ilithyia. 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 Ilithyia. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
99
~ 1 in 3,462,165 Americans
Peak year
2012
12 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2021 SSA rank
#8,678
Tracked since 2011
Popularity
Ilithyia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ilithyia from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 79 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ilithyia 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 Ilithyia 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 Ilithyia
The given name Ilithyia has its origins in ancient Greek mythology and culture. It is derived from the name of the Greek goddess Ilithyia, who was the goddess of childbirth and labor pains. The name can be traced back to the ancient Greek word "eleutho," meaning "to come."
In Greek mythology, Ilithyia was invoked by women during childbirth to ease their labor pains and ensure a safe delivery. She was often depicted sitting on a birth stool, holding a pair of torches or a wreath of flowers. Her worship was particularly prominent in the islands of Crete and Delos, where she had important temples dedicated to her.
The name Ilithyia appears in various ancient Greek texts and literary works, including the works of Homer, Hesiod, and Pindar. In the Odyssey, Homer mentions Ilithyia as the goddess who assisted in the birth of Odysseus' son, Telemachus. The name is also found in inscriptions and dedications on ancient Greek artifacts and archaeological sites.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Ilithyia was a Greek woman who lived in the 4th century BC on the island of Delos. She is mentioned in an inscription as a priestess of the goddess Ilithyia, indicating the continued importance of the goddess and the use of her name among the ancient Greeks.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Ilithyia, although it has remained relatively uncommon:
1. Ilithyia of Crete (c. 500 BC), a priestess of the goddess Ilithyia in the ancient city of Gortyn, on the island of Crete.
2. Ilithyia of Delos (c. 300 BC), a renowned midwife and scholar from the island of Delos, known for her treatises on childbirth and obstetrics.
3. Ilithyia of Alexandria (c. 100 BC), a Greek physician and writer from the city of Alexandria, who wrote about women's health and gynecological practices.
4. Ilithyia of Byzantium (c. 500 AD), a Byzantine noblewoman and patron of the arts, known for commissioning several churches and monasteries in Constantinople.
5. Ilithyia Doukaina (c. 1050 AD), a Byzantine princess and daughter of the Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos, who played a significant role in the political intrigues of the Byzantine court.
While the name Ilithyia has remained relatively rare throughout history, it has maintained a connection to its ancient Greek origins and association with the goddess of childbirth, reflecting the cultural and mythological significance of this figure in the ancient world.
People
Ilithyia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ilithyia 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
Ilithyia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ilithyia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 99 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ilithyia 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 3,462,165 US residents.
Is Ilithyia a common name?
We classify Ilithyia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 64.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 100 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ilithyia most popular?
The single biggest year for Ilithyia was 2012, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ilithyia is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ilithyia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ilithyia 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.
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.