This post contains affiliate links.
At a Glance: Name: Lillian – Meaning: lily flower – Origin: Latin – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: LIL-ee-uhn
Lillian is a classic girl's name rooted in Latin, pronounced LIL-ee-uhn, and its meaning is straightforward: lily flower. You may hear it said to symbolize purity and innocence, but that's just a symbolic association with the flower itself, not the actual word history — the name simply means lily flower, possibly by way of a pet form of Elizabeth. It fits both an outdoorsy, nature-inspired feel and a timeless, classic one.
Meaning & Origin of Lillian
Meaning: Lily flower.
Origin: Latin.
A common claim: Lillian is often said to symbolize 'purity and innocence,' echoing the lily flower. Actually: That's a symbolic association with the flower, not part of the literal etymology — Lillian's meaning is simply 'lily flower' (from Latin lilium), possibly via a pet form of Elizabeth.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Lillian
Phonetic: LIL-ee-uhn IPA: /ˈlɪliən/
Popularity of Lillian
Lillian sat at #54 in 2024 with 3,882 babies given the name, well below its peak of #10 back in 1898, when 3,061 girls were named Lillian — SSA records for the name run from 1880 to 2024.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
Make Lillian Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Lillian, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Lillian mean?
Lily flower. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Lillian)
How do you pronounce Lillian?
Lillian is pronounced LIL-ee-uhn (IPA: /ˈlɪliən/).
Is Lillian a popular name right now?
Lillian peaked at #10 in 1898 and is ranked #54 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
📊 How popular is Lillian? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
🎲 Think you know your baby names? Take the quiz!
🎨 Get Printable Name Art for Lillian
Beautiful nursery-ready 8×10" print with name & meaning
Preview & Download →More Baby Name Inspiration
📱 The Baby Names app is here
Swipe names, match with your partner the moment you both say yes, and claim a free Name Art print of your winner. Free to download. See all our apps →
