boy's name
Ilyas
il-YAS
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (E&W)
- Births on record 14,977
France
#155
2025 births
Ilyas is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "the Lord is my God." It is the Arabic form of Elijah, from Eliyahu, and names a prophet in the Quran.
- Ilyas is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in France in 2017, when 435 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 1,909 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1975.
Ilyas over time
Births per decade in France, 1970s to 2020s. Ilyas is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 10 |
| 1980s | 110 |
| 1990s | 500 |
| 2000s | 1,970 |
| 2010s | 3,640 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,395 |
What Ilyas means
Ilyas means the Lord is my God, inherited from Elijah. The Hebrew Eliyahu is a declaration of allegiance made at a time when which god one served was a live question.
Where Ilyas comes from
Ilyas is the Arabic form of the Hebrew Eliyahu — eli, my God, and yahu, the divine name — reaching Arabic through Syriac Christian usage. In the Hebrew Bible, Elijah confronts the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel over precisely the question his name asks. He appears in the Quran as Ilyas, one of the prophets. The same Hebrew original gives English Elijah, Elias, Ellis, Elliot and Elliott, all of which are separately on this site.
Ilyas in use
Our data shows Ilyas peaking in 2017 and still rising, at 182 in England and Wales. It first appears in our records in 1975. With Elijah, Elias, Ellis, Elliot, Elliott and Eliana, the names on this site now holds seven separately ranked names from the same Hebrew original — matching the Elizabeth family for size.
How popular is Ilyas?
In 2025, Ilyas was given to 276 babies in England and Wales, ranking #182 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Where Ilyas is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
How Ilyas is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Ilyâs | Ilyâs is a rare spelling of Ilyas, written with a circumflex and recorded about 140 times, mostly in France. | 140 |
Names that peaked alongside Ilyas
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Ilyas also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ilyas over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Ilyas
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Ilyas in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Ilyas
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Ilyas — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Ilyas
What does the name Ilyas mean?
Ilyas means "the Lord is my God," from the Hebrew Eliyahu.
Is Ilyas the same as Elijah?
Yes — Ilyas is the Arabic form of the same Hebrew name, and he appears as a prophet in the Quran.
What other names come from Elijah?
Elias, Ellis, Elliot, Elliott and Eliana all descend from the same Hebrew original.
How popular is the name Ilyas?
In 2025, Ilyas was given to 276 babies in England and Wales, ranking #182 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Is Ilyas a girl's or a boy's name?
Ilyas is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
When was Ilyas most popular?
Ilyas peaked in 2017, when 435 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Ilyas?
Ilyas is usually shortened to Ily.
Is Ilyas a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Ilyas currently ranks #155 in France. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.