Graffenstaden was a village bordering Illkirch: the two communes were merged for economic reasons between 1790 and 1794.
Ime kraja se je večkrat spreminjalo: "Ellofanum" (720), "Illechilechen" (826), "Illenkirche" (845), "Illekiriche" (920), "Illachirecha" (1163), "Illenkirchen" (1172), nazadnje Illkirch.