Ilia is of Greek origin, derived from the word 'žilja', which means 'olive tree'. This name has been used since ancient times and was popular among early Christians. Ilia is also a popular name in Russia, where it is considered a form of Elias, meaning 'the Lord is my God'. It is often associated with the Greek mythological figure Ilias, who was a skilled archer. The name Ilia has two syllables and ends with the sound 'ah', giving it a melodic and memorable quality.
The name Ilia experienced fluctuating popularity over the past century with a significant peak in recent years. From just five births annually between 1912 and 1931, there was a noticeable increase starting from 1954, reaching double digits for the first time in 1965 with ten births. This trend continued intermittently until 1970s, with peaks in 1973 (nine births) and 1978 (thirteen births). The name's popularity surged in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with a high of forty-three births in 1980. After a decline in the mid-1980s, Ilia rebounded in the late 1980s to early 1990s, with several years exceeding ten births. From 2000 onwards, the name's popularity has remained consistently high, with most years seeing double-digit numbers of births. The highest recent peak was in 2017 with twenty-three births. Overall, there were a total of 773 births named Ilia between 1912 and 2023.