Illyria

Illyria can trace all its varied associations to the name of an ancient place in the western part of the Balkan peninsula, also called Illyricum. Its inhabitants, conquered by the Romans in 168 BC, were called the Illyrians. Its mythological ancestor was Illyrius, a demigod and son of King Cadmus and the goddess Harmonia.

Illyria also plays a role in literature, both as a place-name and a character name. Shakespeare set his play Twelfth Night in a fictionalized Illyria, while more recently, Joss Whedon created a (female) character named Illyria, a powerful "Old One", for his show Angel. And there's a (male) Illyrio in Game of Thrones.

Although Illyria sounds similar to the cheerful Italian name Ilaria, it has a different root. The exact root of Illyria is speculated, but one theory is that it means "water snake".

Pronounced ih-LEER-ee-uh.

As of October 2026, Illyria ranked #15805 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #8657 in 2023.