Total births
3,332
Girls' name · since 1909
Ilona
Ilona has 3,332 recorded births since 1909 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1946 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #4786
- among girls today
- 3,332
- born since 1909
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 73%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Ilona is the #4786 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 3,332 recorded since 1909.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ilona has been recorded 3,332 times among girls since 1909, currently ranked #4786 nationally and more common than 73% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1940s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1909 to 2025.
- #4786 among girls today
- 3,332 born since 1909
- 1940s peak decade
- 73% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ilona is currently the #4786 girls' name in America, more common than 73% of girls - 3,332 born since 1909, peaking in the 1940s.
- #4786
- among girls today
- 3,332
- born since 1909
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 73%
- more common than other girls
Ilona vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#4786
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 73% of names given to girls today.
1940s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Ilona was born in this single decade.
1946
Single peak year
102 babies were named Ilona in 1946 - its busiest year on record.
How Ilona compares
3,332 Top 17% higher than 83% 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
Ilona's all-time total is 9x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ilona | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,332 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 102 | 48 | 19,840 |
Ilona's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ilona's full recorded timeline at 1968, 42% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 58% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1909, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1946 peak of 102 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ilona at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1946
Current rank
#4,786
Active since
1909
Ilona popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1909–2025
- Peak year (1946)
- 102
- Annual births at peak, across 117 years of records
Ilona by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Ilona's strongest decade.
738 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Ilona births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 5
1900s
5 births
- 1910s 77
1910s
77 births
- 1920s 106
1920s
106 births
- 1930s 113
1930s
113 births
- 1940s
1940s
738 births
- 1950s
1950s
571 births
- 1960s
1960s
374 births
- 1970s 259
1970s
259 births
- 1980s 174
1980s
174 births
- 1990s 209
1990s
209 births
- 2000s 282
2000s
282 births
- 2010s 276
2010s
276 births
- 2020s 148
2020s
148 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 738 births (22% of all-time use).
How Ilona 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 Ilona's total volume
Ilona vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Ilona by state
Where Ilona concentrates geographically, total births since 1909
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 359 | 10.8% |
| #2 | California | | 246 | 7.4% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 130 | 3.9% |
| #4 | New Jersey | | 108 | 3.2% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 97 | 2.9% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 75 | 2.3% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 34 | 1.0% |
| #8 | Minnesota | | 17 | 0.5% |
New York share of Ilona's total US births 10.8%
Even split
359 of 3,332 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 12 reporting states.
Ilona appears in 12 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ilona? ▼
3,332 babies have been named Ilona since 1909. It currently ranks #4786 among girls. The peak year was 1946 with 102 births.
When was Ilona most popular? ▼
Ilona was most popular in the 1940s decade with 738 total births. The single peak year was 1946.
Where is Ilona most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ilona are New York (359 births), California (246 births), Pennsylvania (130 births).
How long has the name Ilona been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Ilona since 1909 -- 117 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Ilona? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ilo, Ilomay, Ilora, Ilomae, and 1 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Ilona's data
- Ilona's decade-level peak was the 1940s (738 total births); usage has since declined to 148 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Ilonas (359 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 Ilona
Nearby Names Like Ilona
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ilona
Ilo Girl
#12190 712 births
Ilomay Girl
17 births
Ilora Girl
6 births
Ilomae Girl
5 births
Ilori Girl
5 births
Compare Ilona side by side: Ilona vs Ilo Ilona vs Ilomay Ilona vs Ilora
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ilona
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, 1909–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ilona: #4786 Girls' Name - 3,332 Births, Peak 1946." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ilona. 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 Ilona 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.