Girl name · Hebrew
Susan
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: lily flowerSusan is a girl's name that comes from Hebrew and means "lily flower". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Lily flower
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #1091 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Susan
As a girl's name, Susan comes from Hebrew and means "lily flower". It is used in English.
Its meaning puts Susan on our names that mean flower list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Susan on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Susan on 5 lists.
“Lily flower; the English form of Hebrew Shoshannah”
From Flower names for girls, names that mean lily, lotus or jasmine
“Princess Elizabeth's 18th birthday corgi, ancestor of her royal corgis”
From Girl dog names, famous real girl dogs
“Keeps careful track of every meal time”
From Outrageous pet names, human names for pets
“Lily flower; Hebrew. Shared with suffragist Susan B. Anthony”
From Strong female names, strong names worn by trailblazing women
“Lily; Hebrew. Susie or Sue for short; #2 in 1957”
From Vintage girl names, 1930s to 1950s girl names
How popular is Susan?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,091
- 222 babies, 138 per million girls
- Best rank
- #2 in 1957
- Most babies: 47,418 in 1955
- Babies since 1880
- At least 1,123,481
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 2,461 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 1,626 per million |
| 1900s | 1,177 per million |
| 1910s | 835 per million |
| 1920s | 703 per million |
| 1930s | 1,972 per million |
| 1940s | 14,637 per million |
| 1950s | 22,760 per million |
| 1960s | 15,749 per million |
| 1970s | 5,715 per million |
| 1980s | 1,779 per million |
| 1990s | 605 per million |
| 2000s | 288 per million |
| 2010s | 174 per million |
| 2020s | 140 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #909 | #963 | #1,082 | #1,049 | #975 | #1,098 | #1,150 | #1,105 | #1,123 | #1,091 |
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.
Nicknames for Susan
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Suecommon English nickname
- Suzycommon English nickname
Other forms of Susan
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- SannaLily flower (Hebrew, girl)
- SanneLily flower (Hebrew, girl)
- SiùsanLily (Hebrew, girl)
- SusanaLily (Hebrew, girl)
- SusannaLily (Hebrew, girl)
- SusanneLily (Hebrew, girl)
- SusiLily (Hebrew, girl)
Names spelled like Susan
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- SuzanBurning (Persian, girl)
- ŞanFame, glory (Turkish, unisex)
- SawsanArabic form of Susanna, lily (Hebrew, girl)
- SiânGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
- SivanA Hebrew month in late spring (Hebrew, girl)
- SiwanWelsh form of Joan, God is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
- SuaOutstanding and elegant (depends on hanja) (Korean, girl)
- SuadHappiness, good luck (Arabic, girl)
- SujinExcellent and precious (depends on characters) (Korean, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- FloraFlower, blossom (Latin, girl)
- LilianaLatinate form of Lillian, probably from Elizabeth or Lily (English, girl)
- RosaRose flower (Latin, girl)
- LilyLily flower (English, girl)
- NarcisoNarcissus flower (Greek, boy)
- AntheaFlower, blossom (Greek, girl)
- FleurA flower (Latin, girl)
- FlorFlower (Latin, girl)
- HanaFlower in Japanese; one in Korean (Japanese and Korean, girl)
- IantheViolet flower (Greek, girl)
Middle names for Susan
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Hebrew
- AnnaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- EvaLiving, life (Hebrew, girl)
- MiriamForm of Mary, meaning uncertain; perhaps Egyptian beloved (Hebrew, girl)
- SarahPrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- EliseGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- LisaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- AnneFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- DanielaGod is my judge (Hebrew, girl)
- ElsaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- HannahFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
Susan: common questions
What does the name Susan mean?
Susan comes from Hebrew and means "lily flower".
Is Susan a boy or girl name?
Susan is mainly a girl's name.
What are nicknames for Susan?
Common nicknames for Susan include Sue and Suzy.
How popular is the name Susan?
Susan ranked #1,091 in the US in 2025, with 222 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Susan?
Forms of Susan with the same meaning and origin include Sanna (Scandinavian), Sanne (Dutch), Siùsan (Scottish), Susana (Spanish) and Susanna (English).
What middle names go with Susan?
Middle names that flow well with Susan include Alexandra, Alice, Brooke, Cosima and Marguerite. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.