Ilona
Girl name · #3838 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Ilona? In official American birth records, Ilona has been tracked continuously since 1909, giving it 116 years of documented American history.
Ilona ranks #3838 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 38 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #4069, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 47,368 girls born in 2025 was named Ilona.
Babies named Ilona per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 116-year story
Ilona first appears in the Social Security records in 1909, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1946, when 102 girls were named Ilona — good for #818 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Ilona against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Ilona in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Ilona is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Ilona will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Ilona is most common
State-level data for Ilona is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Ilona
Statistically, parents drawn to Ilona tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Elida, Mona, Georgianna, Janey, and Luana.
ElidaMonaGeorgiannaJaneyLuanaVeronaInaElayne
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Ilona | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 38 | #3832 |
| 2024 | 28 | #4772 |
| 2023 | 17 | #6680 |
| 2022 | 22 | #5638 |
| 2021 | 19 | #6174 |
| 2020 | 24 | #5168 |
| 2019 | 30 | #4546 |
| 2018 | 29 | #4662 |
| 2017 | 28 | #4811 |
| 2016 | 35 | #4157 |
| 2015 | 36 | #4069 |
| 2014 | 19 | #6451 |
| 2013 | 22 | #5834 |
| 2012 | 26 | #5253 |
| 2011 | 24 | #5543 |
| 2010 | 27 | #5108 |
| 2009 | 22 | #6091 |
| 2008 | 32 | #4647 |
| 2007 | 33 | #4475 |
| 2006 | 26 | #5233 |
| 2005 | 37 | #3876 |
| 2004 | 34 | #4093 |
| 2003 | 23 | #5235 |
| 2002 | 27 | #4498 |
| 2001 | 21 | #5364 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Ilona?
In official American birth records, the name Ilona first appeared in 1909 (over 116 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 116 years.
Is Ilona a popular girl name?
Ilona ranked #3838 among girls in 2025 with 38 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #4069.
When was the name Ilona most popular?
Ilona peaked in 1946, when 102 American girls received the name (ranked #818 that year). Since 1946 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Ilona?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 47,368 newborn American girls was named Ilona. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.