Girl Latin / English 3 syllables

Lillian

LIL-ee-un /ˈlɪliən/

"Graceful as a lily" — a name of Victorian elegance and floral timeless beauty

Lillian is the English elaboration of Lily, sharing its roots in the Latin Lilium — the lily flower long associated with purity and beauty. The name adds an Edwardian gravity to Lily's brightness, feeling simultaneously vintage and fresh. It was enormously popular in the early 20th century, then fell out of fashion before returning in the 2010s as part of the great vintage name revival. Lillian Gish, one of silent cinema's greatest stars, carried the name with extraordinary grace.

Quick Facts

Letters7

SyllablesLil-li-an

GenderGirl

OriginLatin / English

Root WordLilium

MeaningLily; pure, beautiful

PopularityPopular

Peak Year1920

Trend ↑ Rising

Name DayMay 11

Nicknames LilyLilliLillLillie

About the Name Lillian

Lillian means 'lily' from the Latin Lilium — the lily flower, symbol of purity and beauty.

They share the same root. Lillian is the more formal, Edwardian elaboration; Lily is the simple, direct form.

Yes — Lillian peaked in the 1920s, fell from fashion mid-century, and is now enjoying a major revival.

Lillian Rose, Lillian Grace, Lillian Mae, and Lillian Claire are all timelessly beautiful.

Lily and Lilli are the most natural nicknames for Lillian.

Personality of Lillian

Perceived character traits commonly associated with people named Lillian

creativity 80%

elegance 90%

independence 78%

intelligence 82%

strength 75%

warmth 85%

Famous People Named Lillian

Lillian Gish

American actress of the silent film era, considered one of the greatest screen performers

Lillian Hellman

American playwright known for The Children's Hour and The Little Foxes

Lillian Russell

19th-century American actress and singer, idol of the Gilded Age

Middle Names for Lillian

Beautiful combinations that flow well with Lillian

Lillian Rose Lillian Grace Lillian Mae Lillian Claire Lillian Jane Lillian Anne Lillian Pearl Lillian Faith Lillian Joy Lillian Elise

Names Similar to Lillian

Similar Sound

Similar Meaning

Violet Flora Lily Iris

Sibling Name Ideas

George Henry Florence

History of Lillian

Victorian era

Lillian emerges as an elaboration of Lily, popular in the botanical naming trend

1896

Lillian Gish born; her silent film career elevates the name to iconic status

1920

Lillian peaks in the US, ranking in the top-10 for several years

1950s–1990s

Lillian falls dramatically out of fashion, seen as old-fashioned

2010s

Lillian returns with the vintage name revival, now in the US top-80

Numerology & Symbolism of Lillian

Destiny Number

Sum of all letters

Soul Urge

Sum of vowels

♍

Zodiac Affinity

Taurus

Lucky Number

Personal power digit

🎨

Lucky Color

Cream White

💎

Lucky Stone

Pearl

🌸

Lucky Flower

Lily

Lillian Around the World

How Lillian is written in different languages and scripts

ليليان

Arabic

リリアン

Japanese

Лиллиан

Russian

릴리안

Korean

莉莉安

Chinese

Λίλιαν

Greek

लिलियन

Hindi

ליליאן

Hebrew

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