Lillian

“Lily; may have started as an early nickname for Elizabeth” — Latin origin

Girl's name · #57 in the US (2025) · Comeback

Lillian was #10 in 1898, slipped to #487 by 1978, and has climbed back to #57 today. About 475,000 girls have carried it since 1880. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records. Lillian's short forms are Lil, Lilly, and Lillie. About 1,300 girls a year are given Lilly as their full name. A popular twin pairing with Lillian is Abigail for a girl.

Around the world: #96 in Canada (2024).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 51 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Lillians

Lillian Gish — American actress (1893–1993)
Lillian Hellman — American dramatist and screenwriter (1905-1984)
Lillian Moller Gilbreth — American psychologist and industrial engineer (1878–1972)
Lillian Wald — American nurse and activist (1867–1940)
Lillian Copeland — athletics competitor

In stories & tradition

Lillian (Poison Ivy) — Batman · Batman: Arkham City
Lillian Kaushtupper — Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Lillian Disney — The Perfect American

What Lillians become

Among 559 notable people named Lillian:

Entertainers appear 1.79× more often than among typical names — e.g. Lillian Gish, American actress (1893–1993).

Similar names: Liliana · Grace · Lydia · Clara · Vivian · Ruby

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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