Lilac
Syringa is a genus of 12 currently recognized species of flowering woody plants in the olive family called lilacs. They are native to woodland and scrub from southeastern Europe to eastern Asia, and widely and commonly cultivated in temperate areas elsewhere.
Meaning & Origin of Lilac
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Syringa is a genus of 12 currently recognized species of flowering woody plants in the olive family called lilacs. They are native to woodland and scrub from southeastern Europe to eastern Asia, and widely and commonly cultivated in temperate areas elsewhere.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Etymology
The Story of Lilac
Lilac first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1979, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2024, when 43 Lilacs were born — ranking #3,565 that year. As of 2026, Lilac ranks #3,778 for baby girls with 40 births, rising sharply (+60% over the past five years). In total, more than 413 Lilacs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Lilac
Phonetically similar names — useful when Lilac is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lilac
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About the name Lilac
Lilac is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1979 and has accumulated 413 births in the dataset. Lilac's peak popularity came in 2024 when it ranked #3,565. Use the chart and map above to compare Lilac's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2024 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "L" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.