Ilay
Boy name · #4040 in 2025 · Uniqueness 49/100
Ilay is currently the #4040 boy name in the United States — 27 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #5289, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 66,667 boys born in 2025 was named Ilay.
The 17-year story
Ilay first appears in the Social Security records in 2008, when 7 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 27 babies and a rank of #3949. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Ilay per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Ilay against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Ilay in class?
Ilay scores 49 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Ilay is most common
State-level data for Ilay is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Ilay
Statistically, parents drawn to Ilay tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Izzy, Klay, Kenay, Anvay, and Amay.
IzzyKlayKenayAnvayAmayZayShivayIhan
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Ilay | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 27 | #3949 |
| 2024 | 23 | #4433 |
| 2023 | 14 | #6220 |
| 2022 | 12 | #6828 |
| 2021 | 19 | #4936 |
| 2020 | 11 | #7034 |
| 2019 | 12 | #6777 |
| 2018 | 17 | #5320 |
| 2017 | 16 | #5526 |
| 2016 | 12 | #6726 |
| 2015 | 17 | #5289 |
| 2014 | 7 | #9642 |
| 2012 | 7 | #9709 |
| 2011 | 7 | #9600 |
| 2008 | 7 | #9871 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Ilay a popular boy name?
Ilay ranked #4040 among boys in 2025 with 27 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #5289.
When was the name Ilay most popular?
Ilay peaked in 2025, when 27 American boys received the name (ranked #3949 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Ilay?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 66,667 newborn American boys was named Ilay. It scores 49/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.