Girl · #20 in 2026

Lily

Lily is a feminine given name usually derived from lily, the flower. The name became particularly popular along with other flower names for girls during the 1800s and early 1900s. The lily also has associations with and has been symbolic of innocence and purity in Christian art. Names beginning with or containing the letter L have also been particularly fashionable for girls.

  • English
Current Rank
#20
Peak Rank
#15 (2011)
Total Babies
196K
5-Yr Trend
+11%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
2011
Peak Year
#15
Peak Rank
196K
Total Count
147
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Lily

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Lily is a feminine given name usually derived from lily, the flower. The name became particularly popular along with other flower names for girls during the 1800s and early 1900s. The lily also has associations with and has been symbolic of innocence and purity in Christian art. Names beginning with or containing the letter L have also been particularly fashionable for girls.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English

The Story of Lily

The earliest SSA record of Lily as a baby girl name dates back to 1880, when 41 babies received it. 2011 was its biggest year on record, with 8,192 newborns named Lily — #15 in the national rankings. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 35% of all recorded Lilys. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #20 among baby girl names with 6,406 births, gradually rising (+11%). In total, more than 196K Lilys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Lily

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Lily. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Notable people named Lily

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Lily Abegg (1901–1974), Swiss journalist
  • Lily Addison (1885–1982), Australian tennis player
  • Lily Afshar (1960–2023) Iranian-American classical guitarist
  • Lily Ah Toy (1917–2001), Australian pioneer and businesswoman
  • Lily Aldridge (born 1985), American fashion model
  • Lily Allen (born 1985), English singer, songwriter, actress and author
  • Lily-Rose Aslandogdu (born 2003), English actress
  • Lily Anderson (1922–1982), Irish social campaigner and communist

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Lily

Phonetically similar names — useful when Lily 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 Lily

What does the name Lily mean?
Lily is a feminine given name usually derived from lily, the flower. The name became particularly popular along with other flower names for girls during the 1800s and early 1900s. The lily also has associations with and has been symbolic of innocence and purity in Christian art. Names beginning with or containing the letter L have also been particularly fashionable for girls.
What is the origin of the name Lily?
Lily has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.
How popular is Lily in 2026?
In 2026, Lily ranks #20 among girls' names in the U.S., with 6,406 babies given the name that year.
When was Lily most popular?
Lily reached its peak popularity in 2011, ranking #15 that year with 8,192 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Lily most popular?
Lily has historically been most popular in Hawaii, Utah, Vermont. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Lily.
Is Lily a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Lily is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Lily?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Lily include Cora, Mabel, Aubrey. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Lily?
Common variants and related forms of Lily include Leanna, Liana, Lilian, Liliana, Lilianna, Lillia. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

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About the name Lily

Lily is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 196K births in the dataset. Lily's peak popularity came in 2011 when it ranked #15. Use the chart and map above to compare Lily's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.