The first name Lilian
A girl’s name from Latin meaning “lily”.
Pronounced /ˈlɪli.ən/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
Lilian means “lily” in Latin.
Used since the sixteenth century, possibly originally a pet form of Elizabeth, but generally accepted as a variant of Late Latin lilium (“lily”).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 75 girls were named Lilian, making it the 531st most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2007, with 90 births (#451).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Lilian with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Lilian at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 537 girls born in the United States were named Lilian, the 560th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2007, when 786 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Lilian in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Lilian in Danish, Estonian, German and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Lilian
39 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Lilian ThuramFrench footballer (born 1972)
- Ethel Lilian VoynichBritish writer and musician (1864–1960)
- Lilian HarveyAnglo-German actress and singer, 1906–1968
- Lilian CalmejaneFrench cyclist, born 1992
- Lilian Jackson BraunAmerican mystery writer (1913-2011)
- Lilian BondBritish actress (1908–1991)
- Lilian Suzette GibbsBritish botanist, botanical collector, scientific illustrator, explorer and mountaineer (1, 1870–1925
- Lilian BlandEnglish aviator (1878-1971)
- Lilian MarijnissenDutch former politician (born 1985)
- Lilian LaslandesFrench footballer (born 1971)
- E. Lilian Todd(1865-1937) American aviation pioneer
- Nora Lilian AlcockBritish pioneering plant pathologist (1874–1972)
More Latin girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Lilian mean?
- Lilian means “lily” in Latin.
- What is the origin of the name Lilian?
- Used since the sixteenth century, possibly originally a pet form of Elizabeth, but generally accepted as a variant of Late Latin lilium (“lily”).
- How popular is the name Lilian?
- In 2025, 75 girls born in England and Wales were named Lilian, ranking 531st. Its peak was 2007, with 90 births.
- What are nicknames for Lilian?
- Common nicknames for Lilian include Lil.
- Is Lilian a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 20,470 US babies named Lilian since 1880 were girls.
- When was Lilian most popular?
- 2007 in the United States, when 786 babies were named Lilian, its highest rank at 417th.
- How do you pronounce Lilian?
- Lilian is /ˈlɪli.ən/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Lilian?
- Lillian, Liliana, Lilliane, Lillyan, Lillyanne and Lilyan.