Lily
LIL-ee /ˈlɪl.i/
Meaning of Lily
Lily comes from the Old English lilie, derived from Latin lilium — the flowering plant long associated with purity, rebirth and the Virgin Mary in Christian iconography. It is part of the Victorian wave of English flower-names. The current US position is its highest ever in SSA records; in the UK it has been top-5 for over a decade.
Current popularity of Lily
Rankings from the most recent fully-published year in each national registry. Source links at the foot of the page.
| Registry | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| United States (SSA) | 2024 | #19 |
| United Kingdom (ONS) | 2024 | #4 |
Notable bearers of Lily
Lily Langtry (actress, 1853–1929); Lily Tomlin; Lily James.
Similar names & variants
Cognates, spelling variants and close relatives. Click any name with an underline to read its own page.
Sibling-name suggestions
Names that pair stylistically with Lily — useful as middle names or for siblings.
About this entry
Compiled by the Baby Name Finder editorial team following the rules in our Methodology and Editorial guidelines. If you spot an error, please tell us; our corrections policy is at /editorial-guidelines#corrections.
Sources
- https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/
- https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/datasets/babynamesenglandandwalesbabynamesstatisticsgirls
Last reviewed: 2026-05-31