Declining since 2018, #9,457 for girls today.
Popularity of Ilhan since 1997
Babies named Ilhan per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | 0 |
| 2000s | 127 | 36 |
| 2010s | 206 | 69 |
| 2020s | 84 | 62 |
Meaning & origin
Ilhan entered U.S. records in 1997 and reached its peak rank of 9,457th in 2019, the same year its most famous bearer, Ilhan Omar, took office in Congress. Since 2018 the name has been in decline, reflecting a gradual decrease in attention. The name is unisex but has been predominantly female in the U.S. since trending upward in the 2010s. As of 2025, it is given to roughly 1 in 160,727 children.
Ilhan derives from Arabic إلهام (ilham) meaning 'inspiration, intuition', though in Turkish it is also a given name with potential roots in Old Turkic 'il' (country) and 'han' (ruler), thus 'ruler of the country'. It has been used in Turkey and among Muslim communities worldwide, and gained moderate popularity in the United States beginning in the late 1990s. The name's usage increased notably following the 2018 election of Ilhan Omar, one of the first Muslim women elected to the U.S. Congress.
“Ilhan” around the world
Where Ilhan lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
70
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Ilhan
Names that share Ilhan's style, for a brother or sister.
