Lily Name Meaning and Origin

The name Lily evokes a sense of a beautiful flower, making it perfect for your delicate and precious little princess. Due to the name being a floral name, its classic and timeless aspect makes it a coveted name for new parents. However, what does the name mean, and what are its origins? Get to know all such information about the name Lily before you choose it for your child.

What Does Lily Mean?

The meaning of Lily the flower is innocence and purity. This meaning of the flower makes the name all the more popular for little girls when parents want to go for a name that exudes the classic traits of purity and innocence. The lily flower is also a very popular bloom that is one of the costliest flowers, adding another dimension of luxury to the name. This also presents a biblical connection since the Virgin Mary was often associated with purity, often depicted by Lilies in Nativity images.

Origin

The origin of the name Lily is the Latin “Lilium,” which is the Latin name of the flower Lily as well. The biblical relations of the flower with the Virgin Mary also make this name popular among religious families.

Gender

Female

Pronunciation

• Lil-Ee
• Li-Lee

Syllables

2 Syllables

Length/Letter

4 Letters

Name Variations/Spellings

Name variations and other spellings for Lily can make it easy for you to choose the name and go a unique route in how you spell it. So, the different Lily name variations that you can choose from instead can be:

How Popular Is the Name Lily?

The popularity of the name Lily has been considerably positive over the years. While the name entered the 2000s as one of the top 125 names, it steadily climbed upwards and became the 15th most common name for girls in the US in 2011. However, despite the steady rise, the following years saw a steady fall in the Lily popularity index. Specifically, the Lily baby name ranking in 2020 was 35, ranking the highest in the last 15 years. While this may indicate a permanently dwindling popularity, the timelessness of the name and the flower itself makes it possible that there will be a comeback in the near future.

Similar names like Lillie and Lilly have also been used by new parents to name their girls. However, the two names ranked 724 and 231 in 2020, respectively, implying that the simple variation of ‘Lily’ is the most popular among parents.

Interest in Lily – Worldwide

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The name has steadily stayed above the score of 50 in terms of its global search trends. While the lowest score was 51 recorded in October 2012, the name reached the highest score of 100 in May 2019.

Interest in Lily – the US

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Search trends for the name Lily have been considerably positive in the US over the last decade. While most of the values have been over 50 on the popularity scale, there are just two instances where the name scored less than 50. This includes a score of 48 in October 2012 and 49 in December 2019. On the contrary, the name very recently reached 100 in May 2021.

The Popularity of the name Lily

URL: https://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/babyname.cgi

Where Is the Name Most Searched?

Search trends of Lily – Worldwide

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Globally, the UK generated the highest searches for Lily in the last ten years. Following the UK, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and Serbia round up the top 5 countries that have led to the highest searches for the name.

Search trends of Lily – the US

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In the US, the sub-regions of Maine and Vermont occupy the first two positions in displaying search interest in the name with the same scores of 100. Following these, Kentucky, Utah, and Massachusetts round up the top 5 sub-regions with the most interest in the name.

Middle Names That Go With Lily

Whether you have a middle name or not, it is undeniable that suitably chosen middle names add a sense of dignity and weight to one’s name. So, if you want a middle name for your daughter, you can consider these double names with Lily:

Famous People Named Lily

Popular personalities named Lily have immensely helped in making the name more popular and more widely used among the general public. So, if you are looking for inspiration on why you should choose this name, these celebrities will help:

Similar Names & Last Names

Similar baby names like Lily, which are derived from flowers, make for an excellent addition to any family; regardless of your family names for Lily, the name shines with any surname. However, if you are looking for similar names, then these other names for Lily can help you:

Names That Sound Like Lily

While some may fall in love with the essence of the name Lily, you may have fallen in love with how it sounds. So, if you are looking for phonetically similar names, then these names that rhyme with Lily can be perfect:

Sibling Names Related to Lily

Giving similar names to siblings can be a fun experience for you that leads to beautiful and cohesive names for all children. So, choose sibling names that go with Lily by selecting brother names for Lily and Sister names for Lily from this list.

Nicknames for Lily

Nicknames can allow you to call your baby affectionate names. And this is one area where you can use your creativity and imagination to the max. So, whether you go for cute or wacky nicknames, these ideas can help you:

Having a child is one of the greatest joys you can experience. So, maximize that joy by giving her a sweet name like Lily. Now that you know more about the name, you can be assured about the meaning and origin of the name and choose from the many variations and truly help her shape her personality.

Sources/References

Social Security Administration: https://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/babyname.cgi
Lily Name Popularity in the United States: https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2011-09-30%202021-09-30&geo=US&q=Lily
Lily Name Popularity Across the World: https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2011-09-30%202021-09-30&q=Lily
Lily Name Interest in the United States: https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2011-09-30%202021-09-30&geo=US&q=Lily
Lily Name Interest Across the World: https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2011-09-30%202021-09-30&q=Lily