Lilian Girl

Popularity: #482 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: LIL-ee-uhn /ˈlɪliən/

Origin: Latin; English; French

Meaning: Latin: lily; English: pure; French: derived from Liliane

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Lilian has its roots in the Latin word "lilium," which means "lily." The lily flower has been a symbol of purity and beauty throughout various cultures, often associated with the Virgin Mary in Christian iconography. The name evolved through several linguistic stages, transitioning from Latin to Old French as "Lilian" or "Lilliane," before being adopted into English.

The earliest recorded use of the name in English dates back to the 19th century, although its floral connotation has been present in various forms for centuries prior. Historically, the name Lilian has been linked to notable figures, including saints and literary characters.

One significant milestone is its association with Saint Lilian, a Christian martyr from the early centuries of the Church, whose legacy contributed to the name's adoption in Christian communities. The name gained further prominence through literary works in the 19th century, particularly in Victorian literature, where floral names were popularized as symbols of femininity and virtue.

The name's association with the lily flower also ties it to various cultural traditions, including its use in weddings and other ceremonies as a symbol of purity and renewal. Culturally, Lilian resonates with themes of innocence and grace, often evoking imagery of gardens and nature.

The name has been embraced in various forms, including diminutives like Lily, which further emphasize its floral roots. The enduring appeal of Lilian can be attributed to its aesthetic qualities and the positive associations tied to the lily flower, making it a name that has maintained its significance across different eras and cultures.

Famous people named Lilian

In this section, you will find notable people named Lilian. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Lilian who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Lilian who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Lilian Gish is an actress best known for The Birth of a Nation, Intolerance, and The Night of the Hunter.

Lilian Thuram is a retired footballer best known for his time with Juventus, Barcelona, and the French national team.

Fictional characters named Lilian

The following list of fictional characters named Lilian is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Lilian is a fictional character from the video game series Fire Emblem. She is a prominent character in Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade, known for her role as a healer and support unit.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Lilian, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

LilaLydiaLenaLeahLaraLucy

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Lilian. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

LilaLydiaLillianLilithLinaLolaLunaLaceyLivia

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Lilian was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Lilian has ranked as high as #806 nationally, which occurred in 2007, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and Florida.

In the past 5 years the name Lilian has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Lilian is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Lilian was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Lilian.

Year Total Births Girl
2025 537 537
2024 544 544
2023 543 543
2022 519 519
2021 464 464
2020 439 439
2019 502 502
2018 494 494
2017 508 508
2016 560 560
2015 641 641
2014 622 622
2013 605 605
2012 676 676
2011 645 645
2010 682 682
2009 728 728
2008 730 730
2007 786 786
2006 724 724
2005 650 650
2004 541 541
2003 497 497
2002 440 440
2001 359 359
2000 328 328
1999 265 265
1998 264 264
1997 213 213
1996 186 186
1995 151 151
1994 143 143
1993 155 155
1992 129 129
1991 164 164
1990 147 147
1989 97 97
1988 99 99
1987 89 89
1986 62 62
1985 66 66
1984 68 68
1983 60 60
1982 58 58
1981 65 65
1980 53 53
1979 53 53
1978 51 51
1977 40 40
1976 50 50
1975 42 42
1974 61 61
1973 50 50
1972 46 46
1971 40 40
1970 42 42
1969 39 39
1968 38 38
1967 35 35
1966 34 34
1965 30 30
1964 24 24
1963 22 22
1962 25 25
1961 27 27
1960 41 41
1959 30 30
1958 27 27
1957 22 22
1956 18 18
1955 19 19
1954 15 15
1953 18 18
1952 8 8
1951 18 18
1950 15 15
1949 16 16
1948 11 11
1947 21 21
1946 12 12
1945 10 10
1944 17 17
1943 21 21
1942 14 14
1941 19 19
1940 13 13
1939 13 13
1938 8 8
1937 8 8
1936 17 17
1935 14 14
1934 16 16
1933 23 23
1932 30 30
1931 24 24
1930 20 20
1929 16 16
1928 32 32
1927 31 31
1926 48 48
1925 38 38
1924 42 42
1923 51 51
1922 60 60
1921 54 54
1920 81 81
1919 67 67
1918 105 105
1917 77 77
1916 85 85
1915 75 75
1914 53 53
1913 55 55
1912 53 53
1911 34 34
1910 33 33
1909 30 30
1908 32 32
1907 29 29
1906 28 28
1905 28 28
1904 28 28
1903 36 36
1902 18 18
1901 23 23
1900 30 30
1899 19 19
1898 33 33
1897 26 26
1896 37 37
1895 42 42
1894 22 22
1893 28 28
1892 24 24
1891 28 28
1890 21 21
1889 31 31
1888 22 22
1887 16 16
1886 24 24
1885 22 22
1884 22 22
1883 17 17
1882 24 24
1881 16 16
1880 19 19

Top States for Lilian (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 73
14%
TX 55
11%
FL 36
7%
NY 30
6%
NC 22
4%
VA 21
4%
PA 18
4%
IL 17
3%
AZ 17
3%
OH 15
3%
GA 15
3%
WA 14
3%
WI 14
3%
MN 14
3%
TN 14
3%
IN 13
3%
NJ 13
3%
CO 12
2%
SC 11
2%
OK 10
2%
MI 10
2%
UT 10
2%
MD 9
2%
NV 9
2%
KY 8
2%
MA 7
1%
AL 7
1%
KS 6
1%
LA 5
1%