girl's name
Lillian
LIL-ee-un
- Origin Latin
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 487,334
the United States
#57
2025 births
Lillian is a girl's name usually explained as an elaboration of Lily, from the Latin lilium, and sometimes as a variant of Elizabeth by way of the medieval pet form Lilian. Both explanations are in circulation and neither has displaced the other.
- Lillian is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 1920, when 10,075 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 836 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Lillian over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 11,308 |
| 1890s | 24,210 |
| 1900s | 32,646 |
| 1910s | 76,158 |
| 1920s | 83,492 |
| 1930s | 37,616 |
| 1940s | 22,405 |
| 1950s | 16,560 |
| 1960s | 10,663 |
| 1970s | 5,379 |
| 1980s | 5,404 |
| 1990s | 11,242 |
| 2000s | 49,466 |
| 2010s | 65,001 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 24,907 |
What Lillian means
Lillian is generally read as meaning lily, connecting it to the flower and its long association with purity. The competing derivation from Elizabeth would give "God is my oath" instead, which is a wholly different sense.
Where Lillian comes from
Lillian's origin is not settled. The straightforward reading treats it as an ornamental extension of Lily, from the Latin lilium, formed in the same way as Marian from Mary or Vivian from Viva. A second explanation traces it to Lilian, recorded in medieval England as a pet form of Elizabeth — Elizabeth generated an extraordinary number of diminutives, and Lilian appears among them in parish records. Because the flower name and the Elizabeth pet form converged on nearly the same spelling, reference works commonly list both. Lillian peaked in the early twentieth century, faded, and has returned as part of the general revival of vintage names.
How popular is Lillian?
In 2025, Lillian was given to 3,966 babies in the United States, ranking #57 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Lillian is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Lillian
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Lillian also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Lillian over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
4 nicknames for Lillian
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.
Lillian 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 Lillian
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Lillian — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Lillian
What does the name Lillian mean?
Lillian is usually read as meaning "lily," though a competing derivation traces it to Elizabeth.
Is Lillian just a longer Lily?
Often treated that way, but it may also descend from Lilian, a medieval pet form of Elizabeth.
Is Lillian a vintage name?
Yes. Lillian peaked in the early twentieth century and has returned in recent decades.
How popular is the name Lillian?
In 2025, Lillian was given to 3,966 babies in the United States, ranking #57 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Lillian a girl's or a boy's name?
Lillian is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Lillian?
Lillian has 3 syllables.
When was Lillian most popular?
Lillian peaked in 1920, when 10,075 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Lillian?
Lillian is usually shortened to Lily, Lil, Lilli and Lilly.
Is Lillian a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Lillian currently ranks #57 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.