Find out how popular the last name Ilyas is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ilyas.

Ilyas, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ilyas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ilyas in America

Ilyas is the 30303rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ilyas surname appeared 772 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ilyas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ilyas to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ilyas

The surname Ilyas finds its origins in the Arabic language and is believed to have originated in the Middle East. It is derived from the Arabic name Ilyas, which is the equivalent of the biblical name Elijah. This name has been used by various ethnic and religious groups across the region, including Muslims, Christians, and Jews.

The earliest known recorded instances of the surname Ilyas can be traced back to the 7th century, during the rise of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula. It is likely that the name was initially adopted by individuals or families who revered the prophet Elijah, as he is considered a significant figure in Islamic tradition.

In the medieval period, the surname Ilyas can be found in various historical documents and manuscripts from the region. One notable example is the appearance of the name in the "Kitab al-Ansab" (Book of Genealogies), a comprehensive work compiled by the renowned Arab scholar and historian, al-Sam'ani, in the 11th century.

Throughout history, several prominent individuals have carried the surname Ilyas. One of the earliest known figures was Abu Bakr Ilyas (d. 1058), a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist from Baghdad. Another notable figure was Shaykh Ilyas (1435-1499), a Sufi mystic and founder of the Ilyasi order in South Asia.

In the 13th century, the name Ilyas can be found in records from the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt and Syria. There are mentions of individuals with the surname Ilyas serving as officials and administrators in various capacities.

During the Ottoman Empire, the surname Ilyas was prevalent among Turkish and Arabic populations. One notable figure from this era was Ilyas Aga (1580-1659), a high-ranking Ottoman official and governor of several provinces.

In more recent history, the surname Ilyas has been carried by several influential figures in various fields. For example, Shamsur Rahman Ilyas (1923-2006) was a renowned Bangladeshi poet and writer, while Ilyas Qadri (1950-2008) was a prominent Pakistani religious scholar and founder of the Minhaj-ul-Quran movement.

It is important to note that the surname Ilyas has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, such as Ilyās, Illyās, and Eliās, depending on the region and language. Additionally, the name has been associated with certain place names, such as the town of Ilyas in modern-day Turkey, which may have influenced the adoption of the surname by local inhabitants.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ilyas

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ilyas.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ilyas was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ilyas has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

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