Iliana is a Spanish and Bulgarian form of Elena or Helen, and so means "torch" or "bright light", from the Greek helene; some also link it to Ilion, the ancient name of Troy. The soft four syllables make it popular in Hispanic families, and Ileana and Eliana are its closest sisters. Iliana ranked number 819 in the United States in 2000, peaked at number 654 in 2007 and has moved only within the 730 to 940 band since, ranking number 730 in 2025.