עילאי
Ilai means “supreme, exalted”
Ilai is a boy's name of Aramaic origin.
Rabbi Ilai, father of Rabbi Yehuda, was a sage of the Mishnah.
- In Hebrew
- עילאי
- In English letters
- Ilai
- Other Hebrew spellings
- עלאי · עילאיי
- Meaning
- Supreme, exalted
- Origin
- Aramaic
- Given to
- Boys
- Gematria value
- 121
10,768 Jewish Israelis born since 1949 carry the name Ilai.
- 92 of them are women and girls, and 10,676 are men and boys.
- 706 of them were born in 2012, more than in any other year.
- Carriers born 2020 to 2024: 2,182, against 3,203 born 2010 to 2014, so its share of births is shrinking.
- The total includes the other Hebrew spellings the register counts separately: עלאי, עילאיי. The chart shows the spelling עילאי alone.
Central Bureau of Statistics register, April 2025. People who changed their name are counted under the one they carry now, and a year with fewer than five shows as zero.
This is how Ilai is counted in each population group.
These are the people born 1949 to 2024 who carry the spelling עילאי today, in each population group and sex the register lists for it. The rank counts the names given in 2024, and 1 is the most given. A count under 5 is not published, so the table says “fewer than 5”, and 0 means nobody.
| Population group | Carriers | Born in 2024 | Rank in 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jewish girls | 92 | 0 | – |
| Jewish boys | 10,487 | 403 | 42 of 541 |
In 2024, Ilai ranked 42 of 541 among the names given to Jewish boys.
Source: the Central Bureau of Statistics table of current first names of people born 1949 to 2024, by sex and population group (release 391/2025 of 8 December 2025, read on 2 November 2026). Groups and sexes with no row for this spelling are left out.
These six names are close to Ilai in theme or origin.
These are the questions people ask about the name Ilai.
What does the name Ilai mean?
Ilai means “supreme, exalted”. Ilai is a boy's name of Aramaic origin. Rabbi Ilai, father of Rabbi Yehuda, was a sage of the Mishnah.
Is Ilai a boy's name or a girl's name?
Ilai is mainly a boy's name. Of the 10,768 Jewish Israelis born since 1949 who carry it, 92 are women and girls and 10,676 are men and boys.
How do you write Ilai in Hebrew?
Ilai is written עילאי in Hebrew. The register also counts these other Hebrew spellings: עלאי, עילאיי.
How many people in Israel are named Ilai?
10,768 Jewish Israelis born 1949 to 2024 carry Ilai today. The most were born in 2012. In 2024, Ilai ranked 42 of 541 among the names given to Jewish boys.
Counts are Jewish Israelis born 1949 to 2024 who carry the name today, from the Central Bureau of Statistics register of April 2025. Meanings follow the standard etymologies of Hebrew name references, and where nobody can be sure the page says so.