Iliyah

Meaning & origin

Iliyah is a modern feminine name that first appeared on the U.S. Social Security list in 1998, a time when creative spellings of traditional names were gaining traction. It reached its peak rank of 10,917 in 2012, with about one in every 200,908 girls given the name that year. Since 2013, its popularity has been steadily declining, reflecting shifting tastes in baby naming. Though recorded primarily as a girl's name, Iliyah shares roots with the masculine Elijah and the Arabic Ilyas, giving it cross-cultural resonance. Its spelling pattern echoes other 'i'-start variants like Aaliyah, contributing to a soft, melodic sound. While no state data is available for Iliyah due to its rarity, it remains a distinctive choice for parents seeking a name with religious heritage and modern flair.

Iliyah is a modern English variant of Eliyah, itself a form of the Hebrew name Eliyahu (Elijah in English), meaning 'my God is Yahweh.' The spelling with an 'i' likely arose under the influence of Arabic Ilyas (the form used in the Quran) combined with fashionable modern name endings. The name has been used in the United States since the late 1990s, appearing on the Social Security list from 1998 onward. It remains relatively rare, with a peak rank of 10,917 in 2012 and a current 1-in-200,908 incidence.