Illyanna
A feminine name of unknown origin, potentially related to Liana and Ilyana.
Name Census estimates that about 224 living Americans carry the first name Illyanna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Illyanna today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Illyanna births was 2012 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Illyanna. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
224
~ 1 in 1,530,153 Americans
Peak year
2012
18 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2023 SSA rank
#9,866
Tracked since 1995
Popularity
Illyanna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Illyanna from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 118 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Illyanna by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Illyanna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Illyanna
The name Illyanna has its origins in the ancient Illyrian civilization, which flourished in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula from around the 7th century BC to the 1st century AD. The Illyrians were an Indo-European people who inhabited the regions that are now parts of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia.
The name Illyanna is believed to be derived from the Illyrian word "illyra," which means "free" or "unconquered." This suggests that the name may have been given to children as a symbol of strength and independence, reflecting the proud and fiercely independent spirit of the Illyrian people.
While there are no known direct references to the name Illyanna in ancient texts or historical records, it is likely that variations of the name were used by the Illyrians themselves. The earliest recorded examples of the name are found in medieval documents from the Balkan region, where it was occasionally used by families with Illyrian ancestry.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Illyanna was Illyanna of Zeta, a noblewoman who lived in the 12th century in the principality of Zeta, which was located in what is now modern-day Montenegro. Illyanna played a significant role in the political and cultural life of the region during her lifetime.
Another notable historical figure with the name Illyanna was Illyanna Kastrioti, who lived in the 15th century and was a member of the illustrious Kastrioti family, which ruled over parts of Albania and Macedonia. Illyanna was known for her intelligence and diplomatic skills, and she helped to negotiate important treaties between her family and neighboring rulers.
In the 16th century, there was a famous Illyrian poet and writer named Illyanna Barleti, who wrote extensively about the history and culture of the Illyrian people. Her works are considered invaluable sources of information about the Illyrian way of life and traditions.
During the 17th century, an Illyrian woman named Illyanna Gjergji played a crucial role in the resistance against Ottoman rule in the Balkans. She is remembered for her bravery and leadership in organizing and inspiring local resistance movements against the Ottoman Empire.
In more recent times, one of the most notable individuals with the name Illyanna was Illyanna Sejdiu, a 20th-century Albanian writer and activist who fought for women's rights and education in her country. She was born in 1920 and played a significant role in promoting literacy and empowering women through her literary works and advocacy efforts.
People
Illyanna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Illyanna as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Illyanna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Illyanna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 224 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Illyanna going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,530,153 US residents.
Is Illyanna a common name?
We classify Illyanna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 226 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Illyanna most popular?
The single biggest year for Illyanna was 2012, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Illyanna is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Illyanna in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Illyanna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Illyanna in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Illyanna still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Illyanna in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Illyanna can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Illyanna?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.