Lillian is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Lillian means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Lillian across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Lillian has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Lillian is a girl name of Latin origin meaning “lily”. possibly an elaboration of Lily or a form of Elizabeth.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 476,457 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 3,151 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 216 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 14 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 501 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Lillian per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1920 (10,075/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2017 (178/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2008 (21/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2014 (13/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2018 (4/yr).
Lillian has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1920, when it ranked #37 nationally (given to 10,075 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1920s.
Liliana · Lilliana · Lilian · Lilyana · Lilianna · Lillianna · Lillyana · Lillyanna
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