Lily
Meaning of Lily
Lily is the English word for the lily flower, and most name dictionaries trace it to the Latin *lilium*, meaning "lily." The flower has long carried associations with purity and innocence in Christian symbolism, where it is often linked to the Virgin Mary. In English, the name is pronounced LIL-ee; in Germanic languages such as Dutch and Swedish it is usually LEE-lee. The spelling Lilly is also common.
As a given name Lily came into wide use in the Victorian era, when flower names were fashionable. Its best-known associations today are cultural and commercial as much as religious: the flower is a standard symbol of mourning and of Easter, and the name appears in children's literature and popular song.
Among living namesakes, the English actress Lily James is widely known for her role as Cinderella in the 2015 film and for the television series Downton Abbey. Lily Collins, an English and American actress, is known for films including The Blind Side and Mirror Mirror. The name has no single dominant historical figure.
In the United States, Lily was a modest favorite in the late nineteenth century, ranking 240th in 1880, then declined sharply through the twentieth century, falling to 1,079th in 1965. It rose steeply from the 1990s, reaching the top twenty by 2009 and peaking at 15th in 2011. After easing to 35th in 2020, it has climbed again, ranking 18th in 2025 with 6,673 babies.
Pronunciation
Germanic Languages (e.g., Dutch, Swedish
- Pronunced as LEE-lee (/'li:li/)
English
- Pronunced as LIL-ee (/ˈlɪli/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Lily
| Lily Collins is an English and American actress who began acting as a child, broke through with The Blind Side, and later starred in Priest, Abduction, Mirror Mirror, and The Mortal Instruments. |
| Lily Luahana Cole is a British model, actress, author, film director, and entrepreneur who rose to fame as a teen supermodel with top campaigns and awards, later writing Who Cares Wins and hosting a related climate podcast. |
| Lily James is an English actress who trained at Guildhall, began on Just William, gained recognition in Downton Abbey, and broke through as Cinderella in 2015. |
| Lily Maud Aldridge is an American model who was a Victoria's Secret Angel from 2010 to 2018 and co-starred on the 2014 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 50th anniversary cover with Chrissy Teigen and Nina Agdal. |
