İlham means “inspiration”. It comes from Arabic. It is documented as a boy's name in Turkish, Uyghur, Uzbek, Azerbaijani and Bashkir.
- İlham is a name of Arabic and Turkic origin.
- It is recorded for Turkish, Uyghur, Uzbek, Azerbaijani and Bashkir.
- 2 syllables (counted from the spelling) and 5 letters.
What does İlham mean?
İlham is a male name meaning 'inspiration', from the Arabic verbal noun ilhām. Turkish and Uyghur (ئىلھام) both use the same word as a common noun for inspiration, and Wikidata adds the Uzbek form Ilhom.[1,3,5,6]
İlham in Turkish, Uyghur, Uzbek, Azerbaijani and Bashkir
What does İlham mean in Turkish?
In Turkish the name is written İlham. No separate Turkish gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “inspiration” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.[1,7]
What does İlham mean in Uyghur?
In Uyghur the name is written ئىلھام, Ilham (ULY transliteration), ilham (ULY), Ilam and ئىلام. Here it is glossed as “good tidings; feeling”[6]. It is recorded as a boy's name.[3,6]
What does İlham mean in Uzbek?
In Uzbek the name is written Ilhom. No separate Uzbek gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “inspiration” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.[7]
Recorded on Wikidata (P407 Uzbek) with the Uzbek label Ilhom.
Where does the name İlham come from?
Arabic, borrowing. From Arabic ilhām; Turkish through Ottoman Turkish.[1,3]✓ Documented
Bashkir, native word. Wiktionary traces the name to илһам (‘inspiration’).[5]✓ Documented
Azerbaijani, native word. Wiktionary traces the name to ilham (‘inspiration’).[1]✓ Documented
Arabic, borrowing. The Dictionary of Uyghur Names gives the origin as Arabic.[6]✓ Documented
How do you pronounce İlham?
In IPA: /il.hɑm/, as given in the cited dictionary entry.
Which languages use the name İlham?
İlham is used as a given name in Turkish, Uyghur, Uzbek, Azerbaijani and Bashkir. Its origin is Arabic, Bashkir and Azerbaijani. The table shows for each language whether the use is documented by a cited source or comes from our editorial research.
İlham across Turkic languages
| Language | Spelling | Gender | Meaning in this language | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkish | İlhamLatin | Boy | same as above: “inspiration” | Documented[1,7] |
| Uyghur | ئىلھامArabic script IlamLatin, variant ئىلامArabic script, variant | Boy | “good tidings; feeling” | Documented[3,6] |
| Uzbek | IlhomLatin | Boy | same as above: “inspiration” | Documented[7] |
| Azerbaijani | İlhamLatin | Boy | “inspiration” | Documented[1] |
| Bashkir | ИлһамCyrillic | Boy | “inspiration” | Documented[5] |
Similar spellings in different languages do not prove a shared origin: two languages can arrive at the same sound from different words. The origin section above states what the sources say.
Spelling variations of İlham
Forms are shown as recorded, in their original script. Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled with their system and are not presented as attested spellings.
| Form | Language | Script | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| İlham[1] | Turkish | Latin | Native spelling |
| ئىلھام[3,6] | Uyghur | Arabic script | Native spelling |
| Ilham[6] | Uyghur | Latin | Romanization (ULY transliteration) |
| ilham[3] | Uyghur | Latin | Romanization (ULY) |
| Ilam[6] | Uyghur | Latin | Variant (ULY transliteration) |
| ئىلام[6] | Uyghur | Arabic script | Variant |
| Ilhom[7] | Uzbek | Latin | Native spelling |
| İlham[1] | Azerbaijani | Latin | Native spelling |
| Илһам[5] | Bashkir | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Ilham[5] | Bashkir | Latin | Romanization (Wiktionary romanization) |
Sibling names for İlham
Names recorded for the same languages that start with a different letter, so two children are not mixed up. Names that share a meaning theme or an element with İlham rank first. Siblings do not have to match; these are only ideas.
- UmarBoy“remedy”same language (turkish)
- SelimBoy“safe, sound; healthy”same language (turkish, uyghur)
- AkgülGirl“white rose; white flower”same language (turkish)
- DaryalBoy“Gate of the Alans”same language (turkish)
- RefikBoy“comrade, companion, fellow”same language (turkish)
- KevenBoy“milkvetch, astragal, any flowering plant in the genus Astragalus”same language (turkish)
- SanaUnisex“praise”same language (uyghur)
- AkdoğanBoy“gyrfalcon”same language (turkish)
Common questions about İlham
What does the name İlham mean?
İlham means “inspiration”. It comes from Arabic. It is documented as a boy's name in Turkish, Uyghur, Uzbek, Azerbaijani and Bashkir.
Is İlham a girl's or a boy's name?
İlham is recorded as a boy's name. By language: Turkish: boys; Uyghur: boys; Uzbek: boys; Azerbaijani: boys; Bashkir: boys.
Where does İlham come from?
İlham is of Arabic, Bashkir and Azerbaijani origin according to our origin records. Read the origin section above for the sources.
Which languages use İlham?
İlham is recorded for Turkish, Uyghur, Uzbek, Azerbaijani and Bashkir. The table shows each language's spelling, gender and evidence label, and a language is listed only when our data records the name for it.
How is İlham spelled in other scripts?
Recorded spellings: İlham (Latin), ئىلھام (Arabic script), Ilam (Latin), ئىلام (Arabic script), Ilhom (Latin), Илһам (Cyrillic). Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled as such in the spelling table.
How many syllables does İlham have?
İlham has 2 syllables by our approximate count of vowel groups in the spelling, and 5 letters. Pronunciation can differ by language.
Sources
Numbers in the text point to these sources. The descriptions on this page are written by our editors; source texts are not copied.
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “İlham”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 88357254. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Turkish name from Ottoman الهام 'inspiration', from Arabic إِلْهَام; from ilham 'inspiration'; classified as a male given name in the Turkish section; IPA /il.hɑm/ (Turkish Pronunciation section); classified as a male given name in the Azerbaijani section (+6 more)
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “ilham”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 93610889. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Turkish noun inspiration; Azerbaijani ilham ‘inspiration’
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “ئىلھام”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 79195480. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Uyghur noun inspiration; given name; classified as a male given name in the Uyghur section; listed as a male given name in the Uyghur section; borrowed from Arabic إِلْهَام (+2 more)
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “إلهام”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 88963958. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Arabic noun inspiration, verbal noun of أَلْهَمَ
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “Илһам”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 88380594. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: classified as a male given name in the Bashkir section; etymology states: From илһам (ilham, “inspiration”); listed as a male given name in the Bashkir section; headword of the Bashkir given-name entry (+1 more)
- Uyghur Language. Dictionary of Uyghur Names. Uyghur Language (GitHub: uyghur-language/names), revision 075ed994f116b4b9e06c7d013b4fb880db679883. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: MIT License.
Supports: entry in the Dictionary of Uyghur Names; Uyghur gloss: بېشارەت، ھېس-تۇيغۇ; listed as a Uyghur given name (masculine); origin: Arabic (+4 more)
- Wikidata contributors. Wikidata item Q76836397 (İlham, male given name). Wikimedia Foundation, revision 2555734007. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC0 1.0.
Supports: Wikidata given-name item lists Turkish under P407; given-name item lists Uzbek under P407 (language of work or name); Uzbek label and native label (P1705) Ilhom on the item that also has the native labels İlham and إلهام
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “илһам”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 88380593. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Bashkir илһам ‘inspiration’
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