girl's name
Lilly
LIL-ee
- Origin Latin
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 100,094
the United States
#252
2025 births
Lilly is a girl's name of Latin origin taken from the flower, from lilium. It is a spelling variant of Lily, and the doubled l has no separate meaning — both names are the flower.
- Lilly is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 2010, when 2,891 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 2,722 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Lilly 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 | 781 |
| 1890s | 1,107 |
| 1900s | 1,314 |
| 1910s | 2,369 |
| 1920s | 2,964 |
| 1930s | 2,034 |
| 1940s | 1,596 |
| 1950s | 1,416 |
| 1960s | 1,134 |
| 1970s | 630 |
| 1980s | 714 |
| 1990s | 2,270 |
| 2000s | 17,295 |
| 2010s | 23,527 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 7,601 |
What Lilly means
Lilly means the lily flower, from the Latin lilium. The flower's long association with purity comes from Christian art rather than from the word itself, which is simply the plant's name.
Where Lilly comes from
Lilly and Lily both come from the Latin lilium, borrowed from an earlier Mediterranean language. The white lily became the emblem of the Virgin Mary in Christian art, which is where the purity association comes from, and the fleur-de-lis carried it into French heraldry. Lily also served as a medieval pet form of Elizabeth, which is why some bearers have no floral connection at all. The double-l spelling is largely modern and, in our data, considerably more British than American.
Lilly in use
Our data shows Lilly falling, peaking in 2010, at 129 in England and Wales. It first appears in our records in 1880. Lily, the single-l spelling, sits at 2 in England and Wales — so the two spellings are separated by more than a hundred places despite being the same name.
How popular is Lilly?
In 2025, Lilly was given to 1,218 babies in the United States, ranking #252 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Lilly 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 Lilly
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Lilly also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Lilly over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Lilly
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.
Lilly 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 Lilly
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Lilly — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Lilly
What does the name Lilly mean?
Lilly is the flower name, from the Latin lilium.
What is the difference between Lilly and Lily?
Only spelling. Lily is far more used — 2nd in England and Wales against 129th for Lilly.
Is Lily short for Elizabeth?
It served as a medieval pet form of Elizabeth, though most modern bearers are named for the flower.
How popular is the name Lilly?
In 2025, Lilly was given to 1,218 babies in the United States, ranking #252 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Lilly a girl's or a boy's name?
Lilly is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Lilly?
Lilly has 2 syllables.
When was Lilly most popular?
Lilly peaked in 2010, when 2,891 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Lilly?
Lilly is usually shortened to Lil.
Is Lilly a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Lilly currently ranks #129 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.