Lilian
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- LIL-ee-an
- Origin
- Latin
- UK rank, 2025
- #569 for girls
- US rank, 2025
- #560 for girls
Lilian is a girls' name of Latin origin, meaning “lily”. In 2025 it ranked 569th for girls in the UK (75 babies) and 560th for girls in the US (537 babies).
What does Lilian mean?
Latin: associated with Latin lilium; perhaps first a pet form of Elizabeth
“lily”
Recorded in England since the 16th century and long associated with the lily, a symbol of purity.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Lilian a girl's or a boy's name?
Lilian is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 75 girls in the UK and 537 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Lilian in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #569among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 75about 1 in 3,700 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 8% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 75 girls in the UK were named Lilian, making it the 569th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 587th. Its busiest year was 2007, with 95 girls.
2025 had more girls named Lilian than any year since 2018.
Half of all the girls named Lilian in the UK since 1996 were born between 2006 and 2018. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
In 2025, 214 girls in the UK were given Lilian or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #247, up from #569 for this spelling alone.
Among girls in 2025, it was 531st in England and Wales.
In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#15), 1914 (#16), 1924 (#25), 1934 (#40) and 1944 (#88).
Lilian in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 75 | #569 |
| 2024 | 74 | #576 |
| 2023 | 53 | #736 |
| 2022 | 73 | #583 |
| 2021 | 68 | #617 |
| 2020 | 73 | #587 |
| 2019 | 65 | #651 |
| 2018 | 82 | #560 |
| 2017 | 63 | #710 |
| 2016 | 70 | #656 |
| 2015 | 80 | #588 |
| 2014 | 72 | #625 |
| 2013 | 72 | #622 |
| 2012 | 69 | #660 |
| 2011 | 75 | #592 |
| 2010 | 92 | #497 |
| 2009 | 85 | #514 |
| 2008 | 94 | #480 |
| 2007 | 95 | #464 |
| 2006 | 75 | #537 |
| 2005 | 67 | #547 |
| 2004 | 69 | #516 |
| 2003 | 49 | #647 |
| 2002 | 55 | #588 |
| 2001 | 39 | #714 |
| 2000 | 39 | #692 |
| 1999 | 53 | #577 |
| 1998 | 34 | #761 |
| 1997 | 34 | #774 |
| 1996 | 41 | #644 |
How popular is Lilian in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #560among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 537about 1 in 3,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 13% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 537 girls in the US were named Lilian, making it the 560th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 656th. Its busiest year was 2007, with 786 girls.
Half of all the girls named Lilian in the US since 1880 were born between 1997 and 2015, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 4,662 girls in the US were given Lilian or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #57, up from #560 for this spelling alone.
Lilian in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 537 | #560 |
| 2024 | 544 | #557 |
| 2023 | 543 | #558 |
| 2022 | 519 | #576 |
| 2021 | 464 | #639 |
| 2020 | 439 | #656 |
| 2019 | 502 | #601 |
| 2018 | 494 | #612 |
| 2017 | 508 | #588 |
| 2016 | 560 | #557 |
| 2015 | 641 | #497 |
| 2014 | 622 | #502 |
| 2013 | 605 | #495 |
| 2012 | 676 | #462 |
| 2011 | 645 | #462 |
| 2010 | 682 | #452 |
| 2009 | 728 | #436 |
| 2008 | 730 | #435 |
| 2007 | 786 | #416 |
| 2006 | 724 | #441 |
| 2005 | 650 | #474 |
| 2004 | 541 | #526 |
| 2003 | 497 | #556 |
| 2002 | 440 | #587 |
| 2001 | 359 | #692 |
| 2000 | 328 | #709 |
| 1999 | 265 | #817 |
| 1998 | 264 | #805 |
| 1997 | 213 | #929 |
| 1996 | 186 | #1,008 |
| 1995 | 151 | #1,150 |
| 1994 | 143 | #1,221 |
| 1993 | 155 | #1,141 |
| 1992 | 129 | #1,302 |
| 1991 | 164 | #1,094 |
| 1990 | 147 | #1,164 |
| 1989 | 97 | #1,488 |
| 1988 | 99 | #1,408 |
| 1987 | 89 | #1,458 |
| 1986 | 62 | #1,815 |
| 1985 | 66 | #1,726 |
| 1984 | 68 | #1,616 |
| 1983 | 60 | #1,770 |
| 1982 | 58 | #1,850 |
| 1981 | 65 | #1,734 |
| 1980 | 53 | #1,981 |
| 1979 | 53 | #1,952 |
| 1978 | 51 | #1,915 |
| 1977 | 40 | #2,257 |
| 1976 | 50 | #1,840 |
| 1975 | 42 | #2,060 |
| 1974 | 61 | #1,563 |
| 1973 | 50 | #1,755 |
| 1972 | 46 | #1,832 |
| 1971 | 40 | #2,064 |
| 1970 | 42 | #1,986 |
| 1969 | 39 | #2,003 |
| 1968 | 38 | #1,940 |
| 1967 | 35 | #1,980 |
| 1966 | 34 | #1,982 |
| 1965 | 30 | #2,154 |
| 1964 | 24 | #2,529 |
| 1963 | 22 | #2,618 |
| 1962 | 25 | #2,413 |
| 1961 | 27 | #2,298 |
| 1960 | 41 | #1,763 |
| 1959 | 30 | #2,053 |
| 1958 | 27 | #2,166 |
| 1957 | 22 | #2,415 |
| 1956 | 18 | #2,724 |
| 1955 | 19 | #2,552 |
| 1954 | 15 | #2,888 |
| 1953 | 18 | #2,515 |
| 1952 | 8 | #4,122 |
| 1951 | 18 | #2,390 |
| 1950 | 15 | #2,651 |
| 1949 | 16 | #2,513 |
| 1948 | 11 | #3,136 |
| 1947 | 21 | #2,145 |
| 1946 | 12 | #2,879 |
| 1945 | 10 | #2,915 |
| 1944 | 17 | #2,095 |
| 1943 | 21 | #1,899 |
| 1942 | 14 | #2,415 |
| 1941 | 19 | #1,882 |
| 1940 | 13 | #2,296 |
| 1939 | 13 | #2,300 |
| 1938 | 8 | #3,179 |
| 1937 | 8 | #3,145 |
| 1936 | 17 | #1,873 |
| 1935 | 14 | #2,205 |
| 1934 | 16 | #2,002 |
| 1933 | 23 | #1,552 |
| 1932 | 30 | #1,346 |
| 1931 | 24 | #1,548 |
| 1930 | 20 | #1,814 |
| 1929 | 16 | #2,097 |
| 1928 | 32 | #1,365 |
| 1927 | 31 | #1,455 |
| 1926 | 48 | #1,079 |
| 1925 | 38 | #1,272 |
| 1924 | 42 | #1,227 |
| 1923 | 51 | #1,065 |
| 1922 | 60 | #962 |
| 1921 | 54 | #1,017 |
| 1920 | 81 | #807 |
| 1919 | 67 | #850 |
| 1918 | 105 | #702 |
| 1917 | 77 | #788 |
| 1916 | 85 | #732 |
| 1915 | 75 | #761 |
| 1914 | 53 | #798 |
| 1913 | 55 | #701 |
| 1912 | 53 | #689 |
| 1911 | 34 | #741 |
| 1910 | 33 | #737 |
| 1909 | 30 | #731 |
| 1908 | 32 | #678 |
| 1907 | 29 | #702 |
| 1906 | 28 | #689 |
| 1905 | 28 | #664 |
| 1904 | 28 | #653 |
| 1903 | 36 | #539 |
| 1902 | 18 | #818 |
| 1901 | 23 | #659 |
| 1900 | 30 | #639 |
| 1899 | 19 | #728 |
| 1898 | 33 | #555 |
| 1897 | 26 | #594 |
| 1896 | 37 | #478 |
| 1895 | 42 | #437 |
| 1894 | 22 | #628 |
| 1893 | 28 | #520 |
| 1892 | 24 | #565 |
| 1891 | 28 | #483 |
| 1890 | 21 | #570 |
| 1889 | 31 | #430 |
| 1888 | 22 | #533 |
| 1887 | 16 | #560 |
| 1886 | 24 | #439 |
| 1885 | 22 | #446 |
| 1884 | 22 | #425 |
| 1883 | 17 | #465 |
| 1882 | 24 | #360 |
| 1881 | 16 | #418 |
| 1880 | 19 | #375 |
Nicknames for Lilian
- Lily 2,538 girls in the UK in 2025
- Lil
Names like Lilian
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Lily Violet Ivy Evelyn Luna Emily Emilia Annabelle Lucia Nora Beatrice Eliza
Other spellings of Lilian
Lillian Liliane Lilien Lilliann Lillianne Lilianne Liliann Lillien Lylian Lyllian
Names related to Lilian
Liliana Leilani Lilianna Lilliana Lily-Ann Lilyana Lilly-Ann Leilany Lailani
More Latin names
Oliver Olivia Leo Roman Aurora Florence Mabel Rosie Max Nova Lucy Julian Clara Anthony Austin Felix
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Lilian: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/lilian, updated 20 October 2026.