The first name Lillian
A girl’s name from Latin meaning “lily”.
3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
Lillian 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, 119 girls were named Lillian, making it the 361st most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2017, with 178 births (#274).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Lillian with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Lillian at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 3,966 girls born in the United States were named Lillian, the 57th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1920, when 10,049 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.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Lillian
48 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Lillian GishAmerican actor, actress, motion picture producers and director, screenwriter, 1893–1993
- Lillian HellmanAmerican dramatist and screenwriter (1905-1984)
- Lillian Moller GilbrethAmerican psychologist and industrial engineer (1878–1972)
- Lillian WaldAmerican nurse and activist (1867–1940)
- Lillian CopelandAmerican athletics competitor (born 1904)
- Lillian RothAmerican actress, singer (1910-1980)
- Lillian RussellAmerican opera singer and actress (1860-1922)
- Lillian AdamsAmerican actress (1922-2011)
- Lillian BoardBritish middle-distance runner, 1948–1970
- Lillian RandolphAmerican actress (1898–1980)
- Lillian DisneyAmerican artist and philanthropist (1899–1997)
- Lillian WatsonAmerican swimmer, born 1950
More Latin girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Lillian mean?
- Lillian means “lily” in Latin.
- What is the origin of the name Lillian?
- 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 Lillian?
- In 2025, 119 girls born in England and Wales were named Lillian, ranking 361st. Its peak was 2017, with 178 births.
- What are nicknames for Lillian?
- Common nicknames for Lillian include Lillie.
- Is Lillian a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 476,457 US babies named Lillian since 1880 were girls.
- When was Lillian most popular?
- 1920 in the United States, when 10,049 babies were named Lillian, its highest rank at 18th.
- What are other spellings of Lillian?
- Lilian.