Declining since 2022, #9,457 for girls today.
Popularity of Illa since 1898
Babies named Illa per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 5 |
| 1900s | 51 |
| 1910s | 281 |
| 1920s | 450 |
| 1930s | 402 |
| 1940s | 248 |
| 1950s | 118 |
| 1960s | 40 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 7 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 17 |
| 2010s | 104 |
| 2020s | 77 |
Meaning & origin
Illa is a name with elusive origins, first recorded in the United States in 1898. It reached its highest popularity in 1926, but its usage has been declining since 2022. As of 2025, it ranks 9,457th, with a frequency of 1 in every 160,727 baby girls. The name likely emerged as a shortened form of longer feminine names like Priscilla or Camilla, for which records are well established. Its brief vogue in the 1920s aligns with the era's taste for clipped, soft-sounding names. Today, Illa remains rare, offering a simple and vintage charm without being strongly tied to any particular state or region.
The name Illa first appeared in the United States in 1898. It is most likely a diminutive or respelling of names ending in -illa, such as Priscilla (Latin for 'ancient') or Camilla (Latin for 'attendant at a sacrifice'). It may also be a variant of the Greek name Ilia, a feminine form of Elias. However, its precise derivation remains uncertain. Illa saw its peak popularity in the 1920s, suggesting it was part of the fashion for short, feminine -a ending names during that period.
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Illa
Names that share Illa's style, for a brother or sister.
