Ilona
| Gender | Female |
|---|---|
| Language(s) | Hungarian, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, German, Czech |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Greek (Helenē), via Slavic (Jelena) |
| Meaning | "shining", "joy" |
| Other names | |
| Nickname(s) | Ilonka, Ilike, Ica, Illy, Lo, Ilka |
| Derived | Traditional name of the Queen of the Fairies in Hungarian folklore |
| Related names | Helena, Helen, Elena, Jelena, Ileana, Ilana |
Ilona is a feminine given name used primarily in Hungary and Finland, as well as in other parts of Central and Eastern Europe.
The name Ilona is the Hungarian form of the Greek name Helenē (Ἑλένη), which is commonly interpreted to mean “torch,” “light,” or “shining one.”[1] The name likely entered Hungarian through Slavic intermediaries such as Jelena.
In Hungarian folklore, Ilona is also known as the name of the Queen of the Fairies, a mythical figure associated with beauty, magic, and enchantment.[2]
In Finland, Ilona is used independently of its Greek or Hungarian roots. It is commonly associated with the Finnish word ilo, meaning “joy.” In this context, ilona can be understood as “as a joy [to someone],” though this interpretation is a folk etymology and not linguistically related to the Greek origin.[1]
People
[edit]- Archduchess Ilona of Austria (1927-2011)
- Ilona Andrews, joint pen name of American novelist duo Ilona and Andrew Gordon
- Ilona Borsai (1924–1982), Hungarian musicologist, folk music historian
- Ilona Csáková (born 1970), Czech pop singer
- Ilona Eibenschütz (1872–1967), Hungarian pianist
- Ilona Elek (1907–1988), Hungarian world and Olympic champion saber fencer
- Ilona Fehér (1901–1988), Hungarian violinist and teacher
- Ilona Gófitz, Hungarian conjoined twin
- Ilona Graenitz (1943–2022), Austrian MP and MEP
- Ilona Gusenbauer (born 1947), Austrian high jumper
- Ilona Hlaváčková (born 1977), Czech swimmer
- Ilona Jokinen (born 1981), Finnish opera singer,
- Ilona Maher (born 1996), American rugby player, 2020 Olympian with the USA Eagles Women's Rugby 7s squad,
- Ilona Massey (1910–1974), Hungarian actress
- Ilona Mitrecey (born 1993), French singer
- Ilona Novák (1925–2019), Hungarian swimmer
- Ilona Ostrowska, Polish actress
- Ilona Palásti (1924–1991), Hungarian mathematician
- Ilona Senderek (born 1988), Polish figure skater
- Ilona Slupianek (born 1956), retired world champion shot putter who competed for East Germany
- Ilona Staller (born 1951), aka Cicciolina, Hungarian-born Italian porn-star, sometime politician, and singer
- Ilona Štěpánová-Kurzová (1899–1975), Czech concert pianist and piano teacher
- Ilona Szabó de Carvalho (born 1978), Brazilian political scientist
- Ilona Szilágyi (before 1455–1497), Hungarian princess consort of Wallachia as the second wife of Vlad III the Impaler
- Ilona Tőzsér, Hungarian sprint canoer
- Ilona Walta (born 2006), Finnish footballer
- Ilona Zrínyi (1643–1703), Hungarian-Croatian countess
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Behind the Name – Ilona
- ^ Lőrincz, László. Hungarian Folk Mythology. Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1982.
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