Girl name
İlay name meaning
“Moon of the homeland”
İlay means moon of the homeland. It is a modern compound explained through Turkish il, meaning homeland, country, or community, and ay, meaning moon, and is used as a feminine name in Türkiye. The moon rising over a landscape provides a concrete image bringing the name’s two elements together.
- Gender
- ♀ Girl
- Origin
- Turkish
- Syllables
- 2
- Popularity
- In TÜİK lists
What does İlay mean?
Moon of the homeland
In Turkish: Yurdun ayı
İlay combines the idea of a homeland with the luminous image of the moon. Used as a feminine name in Turkish, this short compound belongs to the modern naming pattern built around ay. Its resemblance to İlayda is noticeable, but that similarity does not establish a shared origin for the two names.
Ay means “moon” in Turkish and appears in names such as Gülay and Nuray. In Umay, the final letters are not a separate component meaning “moon.” More girl names ending in -ay →
How popular is İlay?
Official figures: TÜİK newborn name lists (2018–2025, the top 30 for Türkiye and each of the 81 provinces every year) and the most common names in the population.
- Province lists
- 54provinces
Where is İlay in the top 30?
54 provinces · the latest year each province listed it
Double names with İlay
Double names counted as one name in TÜİK newborn lists (all years and provinces combined).
Source: TurkStat (TÜİK), Address-Based Population Registration System. The lists cover the top 30 names per year, sex and province; no official counts are published for less common names. All statistics →
Why is İlay popular?
İlay has a short, flowing pronunciation and a modern feel. Its meaning, “the moon of the homeland,” gives it a poetic lunar association.
Origin of the name İlay
İlay is a modern compound interpreted through Turkish il and ay. Here il means country, homeland, or community, while ay denotes the moon.
Double names with İlay
Double-name ideas built from names in our dictionary, with the meaning of each name.
-
İlay Özgün
Meaning of each name
- İlay: Moon of the homeland
- Özgün: original; independently created and distinctive
-
Uysal İlay
Meaning of each name
- Uysal: gentle, compliant, readily accommodating
- İlay: Moon of the homeland
-
İlay Gülen
Meaning of each name
- İlay: Moon of the homeland
- Gülen: smiling, showing joy in the face
-
Gündüz İlay
Meaning of each name
- Gündüz: daytime; the light part of the day
- İlay: Moon of the homeland
-
İlay Alkım
Meaning of each name
- İlay: Moon of the homeland
- Alkım: rainbow, a colored arc in the sky
-
Öz İlay
Meaning of each name
- Öz: essence or core; self, inner being
- İlay: Moon of the homeland
Double names found in TÜİK’s newborn lists: Gökçe İlay, İlay Meva.
How to pronounce İlay
| Syllables | 2 · 4 letters · 4-letter girl names |
|---|---|
| IPA | /ilaj/ |
Is İlay a girl’s name?
Yes, İlay is used mostly as a girl’s name. See all girl names.
İlay appears in TÜİK’s most-used name lists. See the statistics section above (Source: TurkStat, ADNKS).
Spellings and similar names
Names that sound like İlay
- İlkay♂♀First moon
- İlayda♀Water fairy or water nymph
- İlke♀Principle, a fundamental guiding idea
- İclal♀Honouring
- İda♀Name associated with work or labour
- İnan♂♀Believe
- İnal♂♀An old Turkic title of rulership and nobility
- İlgi♂♀Attention, affinity and connection
- İnak♀Trusted companion, confidant
- İjlal♀Honoring, showing profound respect
- İlarya♀Cheerful, joyful
- İlkar♀
Names with related meanings
- Sıla♀A longed-for home
- İlbilge♀Name combining country and wisdom
- Elay♀Moon of the homeland
- Şenel♀A joyful land or community
- Elmira♀Ruler of the country
- Gürel♂♀Strong, flourishing community or homeland
- Hamiyet♀Protective zeal
- Yurdanur♀Light for the homeland
- Erin♂♀Ireland
- Ülke♀Country, homeland
- Yurdagül♀Smile upon the homeland
- Belde♀Town
Famous people named İlay
- İlay Erkök · b. 1993
- İlay Aksoy · b. 1969
- İlay Yörük · b. 2001
- İlay Tiryaki
FAQ about the name İlay
What is the meaning of İlay?
İlay means “Moon of the homeland”. İlay is a modern compound interpreted through Turkish il and ay. Here il means country, homeland, or community, while ay denotes the moon.
Is İlay a girl’s name?
Yes, İlay is used mostly as a girl’s name.
Is İlay in the Quran?
No. Neither the name İlay nor its source word occurs in the Quran.
What is the origin of the name İlay?
İlay is of Turkish origin.
How many syllables does İlay have?
İlay has 2 syllables and 4 letters.
How popular is the name İlay?
İlay appears in TÜİK’s most-used name lists. See the statistics section above (Source: TurkStat, ADNKS).
What names go well with İlay?
Some ideas: İlay Özgün; Uysal İlay; İlay Gülen.
Famous people named İlay?
Notable people named İlay include İlay Erkök, İlay Aksoy, İlay Yörük.
Sources and method
Meanings and origins draw on language sources and name dictionaries; popularity figures come from TÜİK’s address-based population register, and notable people from Wikidata.
Entry ID: nm00432 · Updated 2026-10-24 · How we research names · Report a mistake