Ilona
How to say it: ih-LOH-nuh · /ɪˈloʊnə/
Hungarian form of Helen, 'light' - popular in Hungary and used across Central Europe.
Ilona was the 2,756th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 38 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1940s, its births are up about 5% in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #2,700 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #2,756 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 38 |
| Share of births | 1 in 87,245 |
| Peak decade | 1940s |
| Change over 10 years | +5% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #2,700 |
| In France, 2025 | #340 among girls’ names, 145 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Ilona peaked in the 1940s and is less common today.
What goes with it
Nicknames
- Lona
- Ila
Other spellings
Honouring a Ilona in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Ilona is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Swedish.
In France: #340 for girls in 2025.
Famous people named Ilona
- Ilona Staller (born 1951)Hungarian-born Italian pornographic actress, singer and politician
- Ilona Slupianek (born 1956)East German shot putter
- Ilona Gusenbauer (born 1947)Austrian high jumper
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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