Ilija

Ilija is the Bulgarian, Macedonian, and Serbo-Croatian variant of the biblical name Elias. The literal translation is 'my God is Yahweh.'

What does the name Ilija mean?

The name Ilija comes from the Bulgarian, Macedonian, and Serbo-Croatian spelling of the biblical Elias. Its meaning is 'my God is Yahweh.' The roots of this name lie in Old Hebrew, derived from the Hebrew Eliyahu or 'êlı̂yâhû (אֵלִיָּהוּ), whose short form 'êlı̂yâh (אֵלִיָּה) consists of the components 'ēl (אֵל) for 'God' and yâh (יָה) for 'the name of God.' In the Bible, Elias is a significant and righteous prophet who strongly opposed the worship of Baal. There are various variants of the name, including Elia, Ellis, Elis, Elija, Elijah, Elijas, Eliasz, Elyas, Elyjah, Elie, Eelis, Helias, Ilias, Ilijas, Iliya, Ilyah, Illya, Ilko, Ilja, Ilie, Ilya, and Ilia.

Where does the name Ilija come from?

Ilija is a male first name with Old Hebrew roots and means 'my God is Yahweh.' The name is composed of the Old Hebrew components 'ēl (God) and yâh (the name of God). It is prevalent in the languages Bulgarian, Croatian, Macedonian, Serbian, Serbo-Croatian, and Slavic.

How do you pronounce Ilija?

Ilija is pronounced in German as three syllables and harmoniously. The common pronunciation is 'I-li-ja' [iˈliːja]. The name begins with a clear I sound, giving a fresh impression. The middle syllable has a long I sound, while the open ending '-ja' lends a certain lightness to the name. Ilija sounds melodic and exudes tradition - a name that impresses with clarity and gentleness.

When is the name day of Ilija?

The name day for Ilija is celebrated on March 24 and July 20.

Popularity

In Germany, Ilija enjoys great popularity. The name currently ranks 744th on the list of the most common male baby names. Its highest ranking was in 1957 when it reached 142nd place. In the last ten years, Ilija has been given as a first name about 570 times, placing it 809th in the ten-year statistics. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 872nd.

Nicknames & pet names

Ika / Iko / Ile / Ili / Ilko / Ilu / Ily

Similar first names

Famous people

• Ilija Čorić (Professor, Scientist)
• Ilija Abutovic (Handball player from Serbia)
• Ilija Aracic (German football player)
• Ilija Arnautovic (Serbian architect)
• Ilija Basicevic (Serbian artist)
• Ilija Batschwarow (Ice hockey player from Bulgaria)
• Ilija Bozoljac (Tennis player)
• Ilija Brozovic (Croatian handball player)
• Ilija Dzuvalekovski (Yugoslav actor)
• Ilija Gruew (Bulgarian footballer)
• Ilija Ivic (Serbian footballer)
• Ilija Jorga (Yugoslav doctor)
• Ilija Katic (Yugoslav football player)
• Ilija Kovacic (Croatian footballer)
• Ilija Loncarevic (Croatian football player)
• Ilija Lukic (Yugoslav football player)
• Ilija Lupulesku (American table tennis player)
• Ilija Najdoski (Footballer from Yugoslavia)
• Ilija Okrugic (Croatian writer)
• Ilija Pejovski (Macedonian musician)