Girl name · English
Lillian
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: probably a pet form of Elizabeth, or an elaboration of LilyLillian is a girl's name that comes from English and means "probably a pet form of Elizabeth, or an elaboration of Lily". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Probably a pet form of Elizabeth, or an elaboration of Lily
- Origin
- English
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #57 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Lillian
As a girl's name, Lillian comes from English and means "probably a pet form of Elizabeth, or an elaboration of Lily". It is used in English.
Its meaning puts Lillian on our names that mean flower list.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Lillian on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Lillian on 1 list.
“Lily, or a pet form of Elizabeth; English. A top-10 name in 1898”
From Vintage girl names, victorian girl names
How popular is Lillian?
- US rank in 2025
- #57
- 3,966 babies, 2,468 per million girls
- Best rank
- #10 in 1898
- Most babies: 10,049 in 1920
- Babies since 1880
- At least 475,028
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 8,585 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 10,851 per million |
| 1900s | 11,108 per million |
| 1910s | 9,307 per million |
| 1920s | 6,957 per million |
| 1930s | 3,507 per million |
| 1940s | 1,541 per million |
| 1950s | 858 per million |
| 1960s | 581 per million |
| 1970s | 347 per million |
| 1980s | 314 per million |
| 1990s | 624 per million |
| 2000s | 2,673 per million |
| 2010s | 3,712 per million |
| 2020s | 2,559 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #28 | #27 | #34 | #37 | #46 | #51 | #50 | #55 | #54 | #57 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Lillian
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- LilianaLatinate form of Lillian, probably from Elizabeth or Lily (English, girl)
- LiliaLily (Hawaiian, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- AaronProbably Egyptian, meaning unknown; Hebrew theories say exalted (Hebrew, boy)
- LilyLily flower (English, girl)
- SusannaLily (Hebrew, girl)
- SusanneLily (Hebrew, girl)
- AntonellaPet form of Antonia, from the Roman family name Antonius (Latin, girl)
- BruceProbably from Brix in Normandy (French, boy)
- GiaPet form of Gianna, God is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
- GrahamFrom a surname from the place name Grantham, probably gravelly homestead (Old English, boy)
- KaiaPet form of Katarina, the Scandinavian Katherine (Greek, girl)
- LeahProbably weary, grieved (Hebrew, girl)
- LillyVariant of Lily, the flower (English, girl)
- LukaForm of Lucas, probably from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- MiaPet form of Maria (Hebrew, girl)
- PenelopeProbably from a Greek word for a type of duck (Greek, girl)
Middle names for Lillian
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from English
- SamanthaPerhaps a feminine form of Samuel with the suffix antha (English, girl)
- AinsleyFrom a place named for a solitary or hermitage clearing (English, unisex)
- CataleyaFrom cattleya, an orchid named for William Cattley (English, girl)
- EvelynFrom a surname derived from the given name Aveline (English, girl)
- HeatherHeather plant (English, girl)
- AdairFrom a surname derived from Edgar (English, unisex)
- AddisonSon of Adam (English, girl)
- AloraVariant of Elora, probably invented; used in the film Willow (English, girl)
- AmoraApparently a modern coinage based on Latin amor, love (English, girl)
- AutumnFall season (English, girl)
- BayA sheltered curve of coast (English, unisex)
- BriarThorny wild shrub (English, girl)
- BrynleeVariant of Brinley, a blend of Bryn and lee (English, girl)
- CallaCalla lily (English, girl)
- DarleneDarling (English, girl)
- DawnDaybreak (English, girl)
- DeiseDay's eye, the daisy (English, girl)
- EbonyBlack wood (English, girl)
Lillian: common questions
What does the name Lillian mean?
Lillian comes from English and means "probably a pet form of Elizabeth, or an elaboration of Lily". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Lillian a boy or girl name?
Lillian is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Lillian come from?
Lillian comes from English and means "probably a pet form of Elizabeth, or an elaboration of Lily". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Lillian?
Lillian ranked #57 in the US in 2025, with 3,966 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Lillian?
Names spelled like Lillian include Liliana and Lilia.
What middle names go with Lillian?
Middle names that flow well with Lillian include Eliza, Eve, June, Naomi and Opal. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.