Until the early 1900s, the city was commonly known under the same name as the river, 伊犁 (Pinyin: Yīlí; Wade-Giles: Ili).
Az 1900-as évek elejéig a várost ugyanolyan néven ismerték, mint a folyót, 伊犁 (Pinyin: Yīlí; Wade-Giles: Ili).