unisex name
Lilian
LIL-ee-un
- Origin English
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 3
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (France)
- Births on record 51,239
the United States
#561
2025 births
Lilian is the most evenly split name in this whole sweep — 46 percent of the births in our records are female, because France uses it for boys and the English-speaking markets use it for girls.
- Lilian is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in France in 2006, when 1,415 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 8,421 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1907.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Lilian over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 10 |
| 1910s | 15 |
| 1920s | 50 |
| 1930s | 220 |
| 1940s | 265 |
| 1950s | 330 |
| 1960s | 1,490 |
| 1970s | 2,600 |
| 1980s | 1,670 |
| 1990s | 3,960 |
| 2000s | 10,585 |
| 2010s | 5,260 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 790 |
What Lilian means
Lilian means the lily, or elaborates Elizabeth. The flower reading is the commoner one, though the name may have begun as a medieval pet form rather than from the plant.
Where Lilian comes from
Lilian is generally read as an elaboration of Lily, from the Latin lilium — the flower, a symbol of purity in Christian art and of the Virgin in particular. A competing account makes it a medieval diminutive of Elizabeth, which would give it a Hebrew rather than a Latin root. In France the name is masculine and unrelated in use, which is why our data shows it split almost exactly down the middle across markets.
Lilian in use
Lilian peaked in France in 2006, when 1,415 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 535th in England and Wales on 75 births, 561st in the United States on 537, 663rd in France on 70 and 741st in Scotland on 4, across 51,239 lifetime births in five of the seven markets we track. About 46 percent of recorded births are female, the most even split in this sweep.
How popular is Lilian?
In 2025, Lilian was given to 70 babies in France, ranking #663 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Lilian is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Lilian
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Lilian also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Lilian over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Lilian
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Lilian in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Lilian
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Lilian — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Lilian
What does the name Lilian mean?
The lily, most likely — though it may have begun as a pet form of Elizabeth.
Is Lilian a boys' or girls' name?
Both. France uses it for boys and the English-speaking markets for girls — 46 percent of our records are female.
Is it Lilian or Lillian?
Both are used; the single-l spelling is the French and older English one.
Where is Lilian most used?
England and Wales at 535th, just ahead of the United States at 561st.
How popular is the name Lilian?
In 2025, Lilian was given to 70 babies in France, ranking #663 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
How many syllables are in Lilian?
Lilian has 3 syllables.
When was Lilian most popular?
Lilian peaked in 2006, when 1,415 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Lilian?
Lilian is usually shortened to Lily.
Is Lilian a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Lilian currently ranks #507 in France. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.