A 1930s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Ilena since 1915
Babies named Ilena per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2008, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Ilena's real moment was 1931.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 12 |
| 1920s | 48 |
| 1930s | 50 |
| 1940s | 24 |
| 1950s | 12 |
| 1960s | 44 |
| 1970s | 41 |
| 1980s | 69 |
| 1990s | 78 |
| 2000s | 126 |
| 2010s | 119 |
| 2020s | 79 |
Meaning & origin
Ilena debuted in U.S. records in 1915 and reached its peak popularity in 1931, when it ranked highest among its historical uses. After declining for several decades, the name has been rising again since 1990. In 2025, it ranked 6838, with approximately 1 in 100454 baby girls receiving the name. Though it has never been among the top American names, its consistent, low-profile usage over more than a century reflects steady appeal as a melodic, international-sounding variant of the classic Elena.
Ilena is most likely a variant of Elena, the Spanish and Italian form of Helen, which derives from the Greek Helene, of uncertain etymology but often linked to helios 'sun' or selene 'moon', thus 'bright' or 'shining'. The name has been used in English-speaking countries since the early 20th century, appearing in U.S. records as early as 1915.
“Ilena” around the world
Where Ilena lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
10
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Ile, Lena, Leni
Sibling names for Ilena
Names that share Ilena's style, for a brother or sister.
