Total births
17,840
Girls' name · since 1891
Ilene
17,840 babies named Ilene in U.S. Social Security records since 1891, with the highest year being 1950. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #5620
- among girls today
- 17,840
- born since 1891
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 68%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Ilene is the #5620 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 17,840 recorded since 1891.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ilene has been recorded 17,840 times among girls since 1891, currently ranked #5620 nationally and more common than 68% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1891 to 2025.
- #5620 among girls today
- 17,840 born since 1891
- 1950s peak decade
- 68% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ilene is currently the #5620 girls' name in America, more common than 68% of girls - 17,840 born since 1891, peaking in the 1950s.
- #5620
- among girls today
- 17,840
- born since 1891
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 68%
- more common than other girls
Ilene vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#5620
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 68% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
19% of everyone ever named Ilene was born in this single decade.
1950
Single peak year
453 babies were named Ilene in 1950 - its busiest year on record.
How Ilene compares
17,840 Top 6% higher than 94% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Ilene's all-time total is 47x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ilene | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 17,840 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 453 | 48 | 19,840 |
Ilene's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Ilene splits its recorded history at 1960: 27% of all births land in the more recent half, 73% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1891 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1950 peak of 453 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Ilene at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1950
Current rank
#5,620
Active since
1891
Ilene popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1891–2025
- Peak year (1950)
- 453
- Annual births at peak, across 135 years of records
Ilene by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Ilene's strongest decade.
3,432 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Ilene births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 41
1890s
41 births
- 1900s 161
1900s
161 births
- 1910s 1,065
1910s
1,065 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,606 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,585 births
- 1940s
1940s
3,202 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,432 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,867 births
- 1970s 718
1970s
718 births
- 1980s 622
1980s
622 births
- 1990s 508
1990s
508 births
- 2000s 607
2000s
607 births
- 2010s 315
2010s
315 births
- 2020s 111
2020s
111 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 3,432 births (19% of all-time use).
How Ilene compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Ilene's total volume
Ilene vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Ilene by state
Where Ilene concentrates geographically, total births since 1891
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 2,852 | 16.0% |
| #2 | California | | 1,858 | 10.4% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 1,526 | 8.6% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 889 | 5.0% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 840 | 4.7% |
| #6 | New Jersey | | 459 | 2.6% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 425 | 2.4% |
| #8 | Iowa | | 378 | 2.1% |
New York share of Ilene's total US births 16.0%
Even split
2,852 of 17,840 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 40 reporting states.
Ilene appears in 40 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ilene? ▼
Since 1891, Social Security records show 17,840 babies named Ilene. Today it holds rank #5620 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1950, with 453 births.
When was Ilene most popular? ▼
Ilene was most popular in the 1950s decade with 3,432 total births. The single peak year was 1950.
Where is Ilene most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ilene are New York (2,852 births), California (1,858 births), Michigan (1,526 births).
How long has the name Ilene been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Ilene since 1891 -- 135 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Ilene? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ileana, Ileen, Ilean, Ilena, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Ilene's data
- Ilene's decade-level peak was the 1950s (3,432 total births); usage has since declined to 111 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Ilenes (2,852 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ilene
Nearby Names Like Ilene
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ilene
Ileana Girl
#2393 5,617 births
Ileen Girl
#13529 2,152 births
Ilean Girl
965 births
Ilena Girl
#9011 702 births
Ileene Girl
456 births
Compare Ilene side by side: Ilene vs Ileana Ilene vs Ileen Ilene vs Ilean
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ilene
Zina #5619
5,063 births · Peak 1964
Teodora #5621
1,323 births · Peak 1921
Deliah #5618
1,260 births · Peak 2011
Valeska #5622
790 births · Peak 2010
Phebe #5617
2,958 births · Peak 2011
Fawn #5623
5,635 births · Peak 1981
Cecile #5616
20,421 births · Peak 1918
Angelyn #5624
2,737 births · Peak 2007
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1891–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ilene: #5620 Girls' Name - 17,840 Births, Peak 1950." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ilene. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ilene draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.