2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ilyes
A Hungarian surname derived from the biblical name Elijah.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Ilyes. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ilyes surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Ilyes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ilyes, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ilyes
The surname ILYES has its origins in Hungary and is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Hungarian personal name Illés, which is a variation of the Greek name Elias (Elijah in English). The name Illés gained popularity in Hungary after the arrival of Christianity and was often bestowed upon individuals with strong religious ties or connections to the church.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname ILYES can be found in a 14th-century manuscript from the region of Transylvania, which was then part of the Kingdom of Hungary. This document mentions a landowner named Petrus Ilyes, suggesting that the name was already in use among the nobility and landed gentry at that time.
In the 15th century, there are records of an ILYES family residing in the town of Eger, located in northern Hungary. This town was an important center of ecclesiastical power and learning, which may have contributed to the prevalence of the name among the local population.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the ILYES surname appeared in various documents and records from across Hungary, indicating its widespread use throughout the country. Notable individuals bearing this surname include János Ilyes (1570-1632), a renowned Hungarian theologian and Protestant reformer, and Gáspár Ilyes (1625-1689), a celebrated Hungarian poet and writer.
In the 18th century, the ILYES name gained further prominence with the birth of Sámuel Ilyes (1718-1789), a Hungarian linguist and lexicographer who is known for his contributions to the study of the Hungarian language. His work on compiling one of the earliest comprehensive Hungarian dictionaries helped to establish the ILYES name as a respected intellectual and academic lineage.
Another noteworthy figure from this period was Mihály Ilyes (1750-1822), a Hungarian military officer who served in the Austrian Army during the Napoleonic Wars. His bravery and leadership on the battlefield earned him numerous accolades and cemented the ILYES name as a symbol of valor and patriotism.
As the centuries progressed, the ILYES surname continued to be associated with individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, and professionals. The name's strong Hungarian roots and historical significance have ensured its enduring presence in the country's cultural and social fabric.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ilyes
Among Census respondents with the surname Ilyes, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ilyes bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ilyes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 97
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ilyes
Ilyes appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-4 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 1,554 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 1,554 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ilyes surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #152,628 | #154,182 | -1.0% |
| Count | 107 | 103 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ilyes bearers went from 107 to 103 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 1,554 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #154,182.
FAQ
Ilyes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ilyes?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Ilyes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Ilyes?
Ilyes ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 103 people with the surname Ilyes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ilyes.
Has Ilyes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ilyes went from 107 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #152,628 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Ilyes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ilyes, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ilyes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ilyes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%), Hispanic (1.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ilyes (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ilyes mean?
A Hungarian surname derived from the biblical name Elijah. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ilyes (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Ilyes?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.