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At a Glance
- Meaning
- The lily flower
- Origin
- English
- Gender
- Girl
- Pronunciation
- LIL-ee
Lily takes its name straight from the flower, and it's an English name through and through. You'll sometimes hear that it stands for 'purity' — that's really a meaning people have attached to the flower itself over time, not something built into the name. Said LIL-ee, it's a simple, familiar name that's kept steady company on the classic side of the naming style list.
Meaning & Origin of Lily
Meaning: The lily flower.
Origin: English.
A common claim: Lily is often said to symbolize 'purity,' echoing the flower's traditional meaning. Actually: That's a symbolic association layered onto the flower, not part of the name's literal etymology, which is simply 'the lily flower.'
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Lily
LIL-eeIPA /ˈlɪli/
Popularity of Lily
Lily peaked at #15 in 2011 with 8,192 babies given the name, and in 2024 it ranked #24 with 6,093 — still solidly in the top 25 after more than a decade past its high point.
Names Like Lily
These names share Lily’s style, era or origin.
FAQ
What does the name Lily mean?
The lily flower. (Source: Wiktionary)
How do you pronounce Lily?
Lily is pronounced LIL-ee (IPA: /ˈlɪli/).
Is Lily a popular name right now?
Lily peaked at #15 in 2011 and is ranked #24 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
Make Lily Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Lily, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
📊 How popular is Lily? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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