Ily

♀ Girl

Pronounced EYE-lee /ˈaɪ.li/Medium

Meaning: Modern American name adopted from ILY, the digital-age abbreviation for 'I love you'Medium

In 30 seconds: Possibly the first name born in a text thread: Ily spells out the abbreviation for 'I love you'. Three letters, one whole sentence of meaning.

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Origin MediumAmerican

MeaningModern American name adopted from ILY, the digital-age abbreviation for 'I love you'

U.S. rank (2025)#3311 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births47 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2015

Total births (all-time)≈ 994

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

Ily is a twenty-first-century American adoption of the texting abbreviation ILY — 'I love you' — into a given name, one of the clearest cases of digital culture minting a name. It also brushes against older sounds: Hungarian Ili (a pet form of Ilona) and the -ly endings of Lily and Everly keep it from feeling alien.

The name began registering in U.S. records in the 2010s and remains very rare. Parents who choose it tend to love that the meaning is literal: every roll call says 'I love you'.

Did you know? ILY joined the ranks of texting shorthand in the early internet era — and unlike LOL or BRB, it was sweet enough to become a baby name.

Overall data confidence 70%

U.S. Social Security Administration name files — recent emergence

Variations

IleeIlieAily

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Ily…

Lily— shares the light l-and-ee sound parents love

Evie— a fellow tiny affectionate-feeling name

Luna— another short modern favorite with built-in warmth

Navy— a fellow unconventional modern word-ish pick

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Ily mean?

Ily is a modern name adopted from ILY, the texting abbreviation for 'I love you'.

How do you pronounce Ily?

It's said EYE-lee /ˈaɪ.li/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Ily a boy or girl name?

Ily is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Ily?

Ily is a very rare, recently coined name in the U.S.