Lillian
Meaning of Lillian
Lillian springs from the soft Latin word “lilium,” meaning lily, and, like its blossom, she’s long been a symbol of purity, grace, and quiet strength. Victorians adored her, flappers kept her dancing, and today’s parents are rediscovering her vintage charm—proof that a good bloom never wilts for long. Since brushing the dust off in the late ’90s, Lillian has climbed steadily back into America’s top-100, peaking just shy of the top-20 in the 2010s and still sitting pretty in the 50s today. She offers the built-in nickname Lily, yet stands taller and more formal when the full name is needed—think of her as the elegant long-stemmed version placed proudly in a crystal vase. Pop-culture sprinkles in friendly reminders—Lillian Gish’s silvery screen presence, Princess Lillian’s fairy-tale twinkle—while the name’s gentle three-syllable rhythm keeps it easy on the ear. For parents seeking a classic with floral sweetness, historical depth, and effortless versatility, Lillian is ready to bloom again in the next generation’s garden.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as LIL-ee-uhn (/ˈlɪliən/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
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Notable People Named Lillian
| Lillian Gish was an American silent era actress whose 75 year career from 1912 to 1987 and pioneering techniques earned her the title First Lady of the Screen and a 1999 AFI ranking as the 17th greatest female star of classical Hollywood. |
| Lillian Billie Yarbo was an American stage and screen performer known for acting, dancing, and singing. |
| Lillian Wald - Lillian D. Wald was an American nurse, humanitarian, and author who founded the Henry Street Settlement, pioneered community nursing, and advocated for nurses in public schools. |
| Lillian Vernon was a pioneering American businesswoman and philanthropist who founded the Lillian Vernon Corporation in 1951, led it for decades, took it public as the first company founded by a woman on the American Stock Exchange, and is honored by the Lillian Vernon Writers House at New York University. |
| Lillian Anderson Turner Alexander was an educator, social worker, civil rights activist, and club woman active in Saint Paul and New York City, known as Lillian A. Turner before 1918 and as Lillian A. Alexander after. |
| Lillian Marie Disney was an American ink artist at Walt Disney Animation Studios who moved from Idaho to Southern California in 1923, met Walt while working as a secretary, and was his wife from 1925 until his death in 1966. |
| Lillian Lincoln Lambert is an American businesswoman who was the first African American woman to graduate from Harvard Business School, helped found its African American Student Union, built and sold the firm Centennial One, and later became a speaker and memoirist. |
| Lillian Pitt is a Native American artist from the Columbia River Plateau known for sculpture and mixed media that honor twelve thousand years of Columbia River history and tradition. |
| Lillian Forrester was a British suffragette remembered for leading an attack on paintings at Manchester Art Gallery. |
| Lillian Case Russell, also credited as L Case Russell, was an American silent era screenwriter married to actor John Lowell Russell. |
| Lillian de la Torre Bueno McCue was an American novelist and prolific writer of historical mysteries who served as President of the Mystery Writers of America. |
| Lillian Mary Nabulime - Lilian Mary Nabulime is a Ugandan born sculptor and senior fine art lecturer at the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology whose work has been published and exhibited nationally and internationally. |
| Lillian Elidah is a Zambian chef and Cesar Ritz Culinary Arts Academy graduate who owns and runs Twaala restaurant in Lusaka, Zambia. |
| Lillian Echelon Mbadiwe is a Nollywood actress, producer, model, and entrepreneur best known for the film Black Rose. |
| Lillian Richter was an American lithographer who worked for the WPA and is represented in the Smithsonian, the Met, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the National Gallery of Art. |
