Ily
A variant form of the name Ilya, of Russian origin meaning "protected or sheltered by God".
Name Census estimates that about 935 living Americans carry the first name Ily. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ily today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ily births was 2015 (72 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ily. 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.
People living today
935
~ 1 in 366,582 Americans
Peak year
2015
72 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,342
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Ily: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ily from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 544 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Ily remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ily 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 Ily during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ilys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. Texas, California, Florida recorded the most babies named Ily, while Oklahoma, Georgia, Colorado recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 47 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ily
The name Ily has its origins in the Slavic languages, particularly Russian and Ukrainian. It is a diminutive form of the name Ilya, which is derived from the Hebrew name Eliyahu, meaning "my God is Yahweh." The name Ilya was introduced to the Slavic regions through the spread of Christianity and the translation of religious texts.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Ily can be found in the Primary Chronicle, an early Rus' literary work from the 12th century. The chronicle mentions Prince Ily, a ruler of the Drevlians, a Slavic tribe that inhabited the areas around modern-day Belarus and Ukraine.
In the 16th century, Ily Muromets was a celebrated folk hero in Russian epic poems and tales. He was portrayed as a bogatyr (a knight-errant) who protected the lands of Kievan Rus' from invaders and supernatural forces. The tales of Ily Muromets have become an integral part of Russian folklore and cultural heritage.
During the reign of Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century, Ily Viskovatyi was a prominent military commander and statesman. He played a crucial role in the conquest of the Khanate of Kazan and the expansion of the Russian Empire.
In the 18th century, Ily Andreyevich Artsybushev was a Russian statesman and diplomat who served as the ambassador to the Ottoman Empire and played a significant role in the Russian-Turkish wars.
Another notable figure with the name Ily was Ily Stepanovich Vyazemsky, a Russian military officer and statesman who served as the governor of St. Petersburg in the early 19th century. He was instrumental in the city's development and modernization during the reign of Alexander I.
These are just a few examples of historical figures who bore the name Ily. While the name has its roots in the Slavic cultures, it has gained recognition and popularity across various regions and cultures over time.
People
Ily + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ily 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
Ily: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ily?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 935 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ily 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 366,582 US residents.
Is Ily a common name?
We classify Ily as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 947 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ily most popular?
The single biggest year for Ily was 2015, when 72 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ily is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ily a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ily 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.