Is Ilham a boy or a girl name?

Ilham is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 242 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.

How popular is the name Ilham in 2023?

Ilham ranks #7792 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2021 with 15 babies.

How do you pronounce Ilham?

Ilham is pronounced il-HAM (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Ilham?

Ilham is also written as Elham, Ilhaam.

A name from Arabic · Girl

Ilham

إِلْهَام

"Inspiration, divine breath." A theological concept: knowledge received directly from the divine without formal learning.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 28-year arc in numbers.

242 U.S. births recorded from 1995–2023.

Popularity · 1995–2023

14 births in 2023

1995 2009 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

I"Inspiration, divine breath." A theological concept: knowledge received directly from the divine without formal learning.

Etymology, in one line

Arabic root: l-h-m — ل-ه-م, to inspire

Regional variants

Familiar in US political discourse through Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (Somali-American) — though Ilhan is a slightly different name.

Variants & spellings

2 ways to spell "Ilham".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Elham Most common Ilhaam

Quick answers

People often ask about Ilham.

What does the name Ilham mean?: Ilham means "Inspiration, divine breath." A theological concept: knowledge received directly from the divine without formal learning.
Where does the name Ilham come from?: Ilham is a girl name of Arabic origin. Familiar in US political discourse through Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (Somali-American) — though Ilhan is a slightly different name.
Is Ilham a boy or a girl name?: Ilham is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 242 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.
How popular is the name Ilham in 2023?: Ilham ranks #7792 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2021 with 15 babies.
How do you pronounce Ilham?: Ilham is pronounced il-HAM (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Ilham?: Ilham is also written as Elham, Ilhaam.

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meaning and cultural context drawn from classical sources: Lisan al-Arab, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Qur'an and Sunnah. If you spot an error, please let us know.