Lillian

Meaning: Lily
Origin: Latin — May have started as an early nickname for Elizabeth

Nicknames: Lil, Lilly, Lillie

Girl's name · #57 in the US (2025) · Comeback

Popularity over time

Lillian was #10 in 1898, slipped to #487 by 1978, and has climbed back to #57 today. About 475,000 girls have carried it since 1880. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Across the states

See where Lillian is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 51 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Lillian ranks in other countries and regions.

#272 in New Zealand (2025) · #295 in Norway (2025) · #344 in Scotland (2025) · #363 in England & Wales (2025) · #432 in Ireland (2025) · #558 in Sweden (2025) · #953 in Austria (2025) · #1,619 in Switzerland (2025) · #1,769 in Ecuador (2025) · #96 in Canada (2024).

Famous Lillians

Lillian Gish — American actress (1893–1993)
Lillian Hellman — American dramatist and screenwriter (1905–1984)
Lillian Moller Gilbreth — American psychologist and industrial engineer (1878–1972)
Lillian Wald — American nurse and activist (1867–1940)
Lillian Copeland — Athletics competitor

In stories & tradition

Lillian Kaushtupper — Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (TV series)
Lillian Disney — The Perfect American (musical stage work)

What Lillians become

Among 559 notable people named Lillian:

Entertainers appear 1.79× more often than among typical names — e.g. Lillian Gish, American actress (1893–1993).

Twin names

A popular twin pairing with Lillian is Abigail for a girl.

Spellings & nicknames

About 1,300 girls a year are given Lilly as their full name and 400 Lillie.

Similar names: Liliana · Grace · Lydia · Ruby · Vivian · Clara

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Service