ilona

Ilona is a female given name used across Europe and in diaspora communities. It is the Hungarian form of Helena or Elena and ultimately derives from the Greek Helene, commonly associated with the meaning “light” or “bright one.” The name has been adopted into several languages and retains similar phonetics, with pronunciation varying by country; in Hungarian it is typically pronounced roughly “ee-LOH-nah.”

Geographic and cultural usage: Ilona is particularly common in Hungary and neighboring regions, and it is also found in Poland, Finland, the Baltic states, and other parts of Europe, as well as in North America among people of European descent.

Diminutives and related names: In Hungarian, Ilona has the affectionate diminutive Ilonka. Across languages, related forms include Elena, Helena, and Helen, reflecting the name’s shared origin.

Notable people: Ilona Staller, born in 1951 in Budapest, is better known by her stage name Cicciolina and is a Hungarian-Italian politician and former pornographic actress. Ilona Massey (1910–1974) was a Hungarian-born American film actress and singer who achieved international recognition in the mid-20th century.