How to say it
LIL · li · an
/ˈlɪl.i.ən/
Feminine
Lillian
Lily
What it means
An English elaboration of Lily, ultimately from the Latin lilium. Sometimes also analyzed as a contraction of Elizabeth + Anne, but the lily root is the dominant reading.
Lillian is an English elaboration of Lily, from the Latin lilium ('lily'). An alternate reading takes it as a contraction of Elizabeth-Ann, but most etymologists prefer the lily root. The name took off in the late 19th century as part of the flower-name wave, peaked around 1900, and was a top-20 name for two decades. Then it crashed for sixty years before its current revival; it returned to the US top 100 in 2008. Lily is the universal short, and many Lillians are called Lily socially while the full Lillian appears on documents.
Popularity over time
peaked at #10 in 1898, currently #57 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Lily is the universal short, often replacing the formal Lillian in daily use.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Lillian Hellman American playwright, The Children's Hour and The Little Foxes
- Lillian Gish Silent-film and stage actress, sometimes called the First Lady of American Cinema
Spelling variants
- Lilian
- Liliana
- Lillyana
Names with the same feeling
See Lillian from another angle
By meaning
By style