Ilay as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Ilay

What is the meaning of the name Ilay ?

The baby name Ilay is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced ih-LAY,ee-LAY,EE-lyah (for Ilya variant).

Ilay is Hebrew, Slavic, Tamil, Turkish in Origin.

Ilay (pronounced ee-LAI) is a Hebrew/Aramaic name derived from the word עילאי (‘ilai), meaning “exalted, supreme, uppermost.” It appears in the Hebrew Bible as Ilai the Ahohite, one of King David’s mighty warriors (1 Chronicles 11:29), and recurs in rabbinic literature with sages named Ilai/Elai, reflecting the term’s lofty sense. The root links to Semitic ideas of height and elevation, related to Hebrew ‘elyon “Most High.”

In contemporary Israel the name was revived and has risen in use since the late 20th century, primarily for boys but sometimes used unisex. Common spellings and variants include Ilai, Elai, Ilay, and the French Ilaï; related but etymologically distinct is the Slavic Ilya (from Elijah). Short forms such as Eli or Ely may be used. Parents are drawn to Ilay’s compact sound and aspirational meaning, “exalted; at the heights.”