Ilian is a name used in Bulgaria and other Slavic countries as a form of Elijah, "my God is Yahweh", though it is sometimes also explained as a variant of Julian or a masculine form of Iliana. In the United States it is a recent arrival that appeals to Spanish-speaking families as a gentler alternative to Elian. Ilian has climbed from number 9956 in 2015 to number 2404 in 2025, its best rank to date.