girl's name · in the US
Lilian
LIL-ee-un (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Girl (US)
- Syllables 3
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (France)
- Births on record 51,239
France
#663
2025 births
Lilian is the most evenly split name in this whole sweep — 46 percent of recorded births 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, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
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 birth records show 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. 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 markets. 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 ranks among the top 1,000 names in France.
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.
Boys' or Girls' Name?
Lilian is used differently depending on where you are. Each figure is the share of babies given the name who were girls, over the last ten years of that country's records.
- United States Girls' 100% girls · 5,110 babies
- France Boys' 2% girls · 2,225 babies
- England & Wales Girls' 100% girls · 665 babies
- Canada Girls' 99% girls · 489 babies
How to Say Lilian
- English LIL-ee-un /ˈlɪl.i.ən/
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 do not 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 recorded births 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 ranks among the top 1,000 names in France.
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.