Ilya
/IH-L-Y-AA/
My God is the Lord — Ilya (Russian Илья, from Hebrew Eliyahu) is the Russian form of Elijah, the Old Testament prophet who confronted the priests of Baal. It shares its root with Eli and Elias, and in Russian folklore it names the heroic knight Ilya Muromets of the bylina epics.
Get Ilya's full report — patron saint, feast day & a portrait — freeQuick — what every Christian parent asks about Ilya:
How well does Ilya fit your family?
This page tells you what Ilya means. The app tells you whether it's right for your baby — scored against your family & your heritage, and your baby's birth details.
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Six signals — scored for your family & heritage, not in the abstract:
Meaning & origin
Yes — Ilya is a Christian boy name of Russian origin, meaning “My God is the Lord — Ilya (Russian Илья, from Hebrew Eliyahu) is the Russian form of Elijah, the Old Testament prophet who confronted the priests of Baal. It shares its root with Eli and Elias, and in Russian folklore it names the heroic knight Ilya Muromets of the bylina epics.”. It also appears in Jewish tradition.
Ilya is a boy's name of Russian origin, traditionally used in Christian families. The name means "My God is the Lord — Ilya (Russian Илья, from Hebrew Eliyahu) is the Russian form of Elijah, the Old Testament prophet who confronted the priests of Baal. It shares its root with Eli and Elias, and in Russian folklore it names the heroic knight Ilya Muromets of the bylina epics." and belongs to the Courage cluster — names for children who will grow into bold, fearless hearts.
Beyond its Christian heritage, Ilya is also used in Jewish traditions, reflecting how this name has traveled across cultures.
Common among Russian, Ukrainian, Jewish families, Ilya carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.
The patron saint & feast day behind Ilya
Many Christian names carry a patron saint and a feast day (name day) — a tradition of choosing a name for the saint a child is born near, or one the family holds dear. Ilya lives in this tradition of meaning and heritage.
NameRoot connects the dots. See Ilya's patron saint, its feast day, and whether it aligns with your baby's birth — alongside its full family score.
See Ilya's saint & feast day →What does Ilya's numerology say?
Numerology assigns each name a single-digit destiny number by summing its letter values. Different schools use different mappings — NameRoot computes both so you can see how Ilya resonates in either tradition.
Ilya's destiny number is 2 — but a number only matters in context. The app matches it to your family's own numbers for a real compatibility read. See Ilya's full reading →
Does Ilya go with your family's names?
Ilya breaks into 4 sounds: /IH-L-Y-AA/. The real test isn't how it sounds alone — it's how it sounds beside the names already in your family: yours, your partner's, and any brothers or sisters. NameRoot scores that harmony, so Ilya sits naturally next to a Mum and Dad like Michael & Anna, or a big sister named Gianna — no awkward clashes, no two names that blur together. Hear Ilya beside your family's names →
Names similar to Ilya
If Ilya resonates with you, these names live in the same world — drawn from the same tradition, sharing the same meaning, or echoing a similar sound.
From the same tradition
Other Christian boy names, common in Russian families
Sharing the same meaning
Other Christian boy names from the Courage cluster
Names that sound similar
Christian boy names that open with the same syllables as Ilya
Explore more names
Keep exploring names like Ilya — by tradition, by meaning, or by first letter.
Common questions about Ilya
What does the name Ilya mean?
Ilya means "My God is the Lord — Ilya (Russian Илья, from Hebrew Eliyahu) is the Russian form of Elijah, the Old Testament prophet who confronted the priests of Baal. It shares its root with Eli and Elias, and in Russian folklore it names the heroic knight Ilya Muromets of the bylina epics.." It is a boy name of Russian origin, traditionally used in Christian families.
Is Ilya a boy or girl name?
Ilya is most commonly used as a boy name.
What is the origin of the name Ilya?
Ilya is of Russian origin, used in Christian, Jewish traditions, commonly among Russian, Ukrainian, Jewish families.
Is Ilya a Christian name?
Yes. Ilya is a boy name traditionally used in Christian families, of Russian origin. It also appears in Jewish tradition.
What does Ilya mean in Russian?
Ilya originates from Russian, where it means "My God is the Lord — Ilya (Russian Илья, from Hebrew Eliyahu) is the Russian form of Elijah, the Old Testament prophet who confronted the priests of Baal. It shares its root with Eli and Elias, and in Russian folklore it names the heroic knight Ilya Muromets of the bylina epics.."
What is the numerology of Ilya?
Ilya has a Pythagorean destiny number of 2 — harmony and partnership.
When is Ilya's feast day?
Ilya's feast day — its traditional Christian name day — is August 2.
See how Ilya scores for your family
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