NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Ilyes

A masculine Arabic name meaning "upright" or "virtuous one".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Ilyes is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Ilyes popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4270, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2012, with 8 births.

This profile covers 89 England and Wales registrations across 18 recorded years from 2001 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 88 living people in the UK are called Ilyes. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Ilyes ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2012, when 8 boys were registered as Ilyes.
  • About 88 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ilyes as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4270

2024

Births in 2024

4

Latest year

Peak year

2012

8 births

Estimated living

88

2026

Meaning

What does Ilyes mean?

The name Ilyes has its origins in the Arabic language and Islamic culture. It is derived from the Arabic name Ilyas, which is the Arabic form of the biblical name Elijah. Ilyas was a prophet in Islam and is mentioned in the Quran.

In the Quran, Ilyas is described as a prophet who was sent to the people of Baalbek, an ancient city in modern-day Lebanon. He called upon the people to worship Allah alone and abandon their idolatrous practices. The name Ilyas is believed to mean "my God is Yahweh" or "Jehovah is God."

The earliest recorded use of the name Ilyes dates back to the 7th century CE, during the early years of the Islamic era. It was commonly used among Arab Muslims, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa.

One of the earliest notable figures with the name Ilyes was Ilyes ibn Mudar, a 7th-century Arab general who played a significant role in the Muslim conquest of Persia. Another historical figure was Ilyes ibn Habib, a 9th-century Sufi mystic and scholar from Khurasan (modern-day Iran and Afghanistan).

In the 12th century, Ilyes ibn Yusuf, a Moroccan ruler of the Almoravid dynasty, gained prominence. He consolidated the Almoravid control over the Maghreb region and played a crucial role in the expansion of the dynasty's territories.

During the 13th century, Ilyes al-Jazari, an Arab Muslim polymath from Jazira (modern-day Turkey), made significant contributions to the fields of engineering, mechanics, and technology. He is best known for his extensive work on automata and hydraulic mechanisms.

In the 16th century, Ilyes Bey, an Ottoman statesman and military commander, served as the governor of Algiers and played a pivotal role in the expansion of Ottoman power in the Mediterranean region.

These are just a few examples of notable historical figures who bore the name Ilyes. Over the centuries, the name has remained popular among Muslims, particularly in the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Asia and Europe with significant Muslim populations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Ilyes over time

The chart below shows babies named Ilyes registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2001 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Ilyes, the clearest high point is 2012. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 8 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Ilyes
02468200120122024

Decades

Ilyes by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ilyes was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #4202 16 4
2010s #3461 48 9
2000s #2875 25 5

Related

Names similar to Ilyes

FAQ

Ilyes: questions and answers

How popular is the name Ilyes in the UK right now?

In 2024, Ilyes was ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Ilyes most popular?

The peak year on record was 2012, with 8 babies registered as Ilyes in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Ilyes?

A masculine Arabic name meaning "upright" or "virtuous one".

How many people are called Ilyes in the UK?

A total of 89 babies have been registered as Ilyes across the 18 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.