Total births
917
Girls' name · since 1943
Ilsa
917 babies named Ilsa in U.S. Social Security records since 1943, with the highest year being 2011. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #9648
- among girls today
- 917
- born since 1943
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 46%
- more common than other girls
917 babies have been named Ilsa since 1943, making it today's #9648 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ilsa has been recorded 917 times among girls since 1943, currently ranked #9648 nationally and more common than 46% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1943 to 2025.
- #9648 among girls today
- 917 born since 1943
- 2010s peak decade
- 46% more common than other girls
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Ilsa is currently the #9648 girls' name in America, more common than 46% of girls - 917 born since 1943, peaking in the 2010s.
- #9648
- among girls today
- 917
- born since 1943
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 46%
- more common than other girls
Ilsa vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#9648
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 46% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Ilsa was born in this single decade.
2011
Single peak year
34 babies were named Ilsa in 2011 - its busiest year on record.
How Ilsa compares
917 Top 33% higher than 67% 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
Ilsa's all-time total is 140% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ilsa | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 917 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 34 | 48 | 19,840 |
Ilsa's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Ilsa's SSA record in two at 1988 and the more recent half accounts for 67% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 33%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1945, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2011 peak of 34, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Ilsa at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2011
Current rank
#9,648
Active since
1943
Ilsa popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1943–2025
- Peak year (2011)
- 34
- Annual births at peak, across 83 years of records
Ilsa by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Ilsa's strongest decade.
205 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Ilsa births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 35
1940s
35 births
- 1950s 36
1950s
36 births
- 1960s
1960s
88 births
- 1970s 79
1970s
79 births
- 1980s
1980s
85 births
- 1990s
1990s
120 births
- 2000s
2000s
179 births
- 2010s
2010s
205 births
- 2020s
2020s
90 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 205 births (22% of all-time use).
How Ilsa 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 Ilsa's total volume
Ilsa vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Ilsa by state
Where Ilsa concentrates geographically, total births since 1943
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 5 | 0.5% |
| #2 | New York | | 5 | 0.5% |
California share of Ilsa's total US births 0.5%
Even split
5 of 917 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ilsa? ▼
917 babies have been named Ilsa since 1943. It currently ranks #9648 among girls. The peak year was 2011 with 34 births.
When was Ilsa most popular? ▼
Ilsa was most popular in the 2010s decade with 205 total births. The single peak year was 2011.
Where is Ilsa most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ilsa are California (5 births), New York (5 births).
How long has the name Ilsa been used? ▼
Records for Ilsa go back to 1943, giving 83 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Ilsa? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ilse, Ilsy, Ilsi. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Ilsa's data
- Ilsa's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (205 total births) through the 2020s (90) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Ilsas (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Ilsa
Nearby Names Like Ilsa
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ilsa
Compare Ilsa side by side: Ilsa vs Ilse Ilsa vs Ilsy Ilsa vs Ilsi
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ilsa
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1943–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ilsa: #9648 Girls' Name - 917 Births, Peak 2011." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ilsa. 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 Ilsa 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 July 2026.