Find out how popular the first name Ilse has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Ilse by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Ilse is exclusively a female name.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 28 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Ilse.

The history of the first name Ilse

The name Ilse is of Germanic origin, derived from the Old German name Illa, which was a diminutive form of names beginning with the element "il" meaning "battle" or "struggle." The name first appeared during the Middle Ages in regions where German dialects were spoken.

Ilse was a relatively common name in medieval Germany, particularly in areas like Bavaria and Saxony. It was sometimes spelled as Ilsa, Ilza, or Ylsa during this time period. The name may have been influenced by the Old Norse name Hildr, meaning "battle," which had a similar sound and meaning.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Ilse of Reinstein, a 13th-century German noblewoman who was a prominent figure in the court of the Landgrave of Thuringia. Another notable Ilse from the Middle Ages was Ilse Burg, a 14th-century German poet and writer who composed religious works.

In the 16th century, Ilse von Büren was a German Protestant reformer and advocate for women's education. She is remembered for her efforts to establish schools for girls in several German cities.

During the 19th century, Ilse Frapan (1849-1908) was a German novelist and playwright known for her works exploring social issues and women's roles in society. She was considered a pioneer of naturalism in German literature.

Another significant figure was Ilse Bing (1899-1998), a German-American photographer and photojournalist who is renowned for her pioneering work in modern photography and her contributions to the development of photojournalism.

Ilse Koch (1906-1967) was a notorious German Nazi concentration camp guard who earned the nickname "The Witch of Buchenwald" for her cruelty and sadistic behavior towards prisoners during World War II.

Despite its Germanic roots, the name Ilse has been used in various cultures and regions over time, contributing to its rich historical significance.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Ilse was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ilse, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!