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.
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 →
The Story of Lily
Lily first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 41 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2011, when 8,192 Lilys were born — ranking #15 that year. As of 2026, Lily ranks #20 for baby girls 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
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 Atkinson (1866–1921), New Zealand temperance campaigner, suffragist, and feminist
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?
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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
- Top names of 2011 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- 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.