Ilija

♂ Boy

Pronounced EE-lee-yah /ˈi.li.jɑ/Medium

Meaning: A South Slavic form of Elijah — from Hebrew Eliyahu, 'my God is Yahweh; the Lord is my God'Low

In 30 seconds: My God is Yahweh: Ilija is the South Slavic Elijah — 'my God is Yahweh'. Lyrical, classic, and warm (said 'EE-lee-yah').

💕 Browse more names

Origin MediumHebrew

MeaningA South Slavic form of Elijah — from Hebrew Eliyahu, 'my God is Yahweh; the Lord is my God'

U.S. rank (2024)#6587 ↗ Rising

2024 U.S. births13 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2024

Total births (all-time)≈ 172

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Ilija is a South Slavic form of Elijah — from the Hebrew Eliyahu, 'my God is Yahweh; the Lord is my God'. A lyrical, classic name across Serbian, Croatian, and Macedonian families (said 'EE-lee-yah'; nickname Ile).

In the U.S. it appears in Balkan families. Rare, my-God-is-Yahweh at the root, and classic.

Did you know? Elijah means 'my God is Yahweh; the Lord is my God' in Hebrew — Ilija is its South Slavic form (Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian), lyrical and classic (said 'EE-lee-yah').

Overall data confidence 58%

References — Ilija — Slavic form of Elijah

Variations

IlyaElijahIlias

Nicknames

Ile

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Ilija…

Ilya— a kin Slavic form

Ilias— a kin Greek form

Elias— the root name

Nikola— a sound-neighbor Slavic boys' name

Explore names like Ilija

By themehebrew slavic

By meaningGod / Divine

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Ilija mean?

Ilija is the South Slavic Elijah — Hebrew 'my God is Yahweh'.

How do you pronounce Ilija?

It's said EE-lee-yah /ˈi.li.jɑ/ — three syllables, stress on the first.

Is Ilija a boy or girl name?

Ilija is a boy's name.

How popular is Ilija?

Ilija is a rare name in the U.S.