At a glance
- U.S. rank 2025
- Not in the 2025 data · last seen 2008 (#12,579)
- Babies in 2008
- 8 (<0.01% of girls)
- Peak
- #3,423 in 1984
- First recorded
- 1973
Meaning of Ly
Ly, a unisex gem carved from a single syllable, glides between two distinct melodies—pronounced “Lee” in American ears and “Lie” across the British shore—like a chameleon shifting its song at twilight. Though as rare as a firefly in a Golden State summer—just six little Lyses brightening California’s 1989 rolls—its story stretches from East Asia to European piazzas. In Vietnamese and Chinese heritage, Ly (李) adorns the plum blossom, a symbol of resilience and quiet beauty beneath winter’s snow; in Latin-tinged tongues, it flirts with the lyric, evoking music drifting through sun-warmed courtyards. With the brevity of a haiku and the warmth of a handwritten letter, Ly needs no middle name—standing alone as a luminous bridge between cultures, unbounded by gender and rich with narrative promise.
How to pronounce Ly
American English
- Pronounced lee /li/
British English
- Pronounced lie /laɪ/
Popularity of Ly in the U.S.
Ly was last recorded in the U.S. in 2008, ranked #12,579 with 8 babies. It peaked at #3,423 in 1984. It first appears in the records in 1973.
- Rank among U.S. girl names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1973–2008 26 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 8 | 12,579 | back (not recorded in 2005–2007) |
| 2004 | 5 | 16,099 | back (not recorded in 2003) |
| 2002 | 7 | 12,187 | back (not recorded in 2001) |
| 2000 | 6 | 13,154 | ▲ 1,257 |
| 1999 | 5 | 14,411 | back (not recorded in 1998) |
| 1997 | 5 | 13,724 | ▼ 3,157 |
| 1996 | 7 | 10,567 | ▲ 2,819 |
| 1995 | 5 | 13,386 | ▼ 5,782 |
| 1994 | 11 | 7,604 | ▼ 106 |
| 1993 | 11 | 7,498 | ▼ 431 |
| 1992 | 12 | 7,067 | ▼ 91 |
| 1991 | 12 | 6,976 | ▲ 327 |
| 1990 | 11 | 7,303 | ▼ 1,143 |
| 1989 | 13 | 6,160 | ▲ 117 |
| 1988 | 12 | 6,277 | ▲ 58 |
| 1987 | 11 | 6,335 | back (not recorded in 1986) |
| 1985 | 16 | 4,635 | ▼ 1,212 |
| 1984 | 24 | 3,423 | ▲ 1,263 |
| 1983 | 15 | 4,686 | ▼ 1,039 |
| 1982 | 22 | 3,647 | ▲ 697 |
| 1981 | 17 | 4,344 | ▼ 17 |
| 1980 | 17 | 4,327 | ▲ 3,734 |
| 1979 | 7 | 8,061 | back (not recorded in 1977–1978) |
| 1976 | 8 | 6,611 | ▼ 127 |
| 1975 | 8 | 6,484 | back (not recorded in 1974) |
| 1973 | 5 | 8,423 | new |
Notable people named Ly
- Ly Tong was a Vietnamese American aviator and anti-communist activist.
- Ly Taher Drave is a Malian politician.
- Ly Thai To, born Ly Cong Uan, founded Vietnam's Ly dynasty and ruled from 1009 to 1028.
- Ly Nhan Tong was a Vietnamese emperor whose record 56-year reign advanced Confucian education and imperial exams.
- Ly Cao Tong was the seventh emperor of Vietnam's Ly dynasty, whose 35-year reign saw growing corruption and unrest that hastened its decline.
More people named Ly 10 more
- Ly Thanh Tong, born Ly Nhat Ton, was the third emperor of the Ly dynasty.
- Ly Chieu Hoang was the last ruler of the Ly dynasty and the only reigning empress in Vietnamese history.
- Ly Thuong Kiet, born Ngo Tuan, was a Vietnamese general who served three Ly dynasty emperors and fought in the Song-Ly War.
- Ly Thai Tong was the second emperor of Vietnam's Ly dynasty, ruling from 1028 to 1054 and remembered for his successful reign.
- Ly Than Tong was the fifth emperor of Vietnam's Ly dynasty, whose reign from 1127 to 1138 brought peace and stability.
- Ly Nam De was the founding emperor of Vietnam's Early Ly dynasty, ruling from 544 to 548.
- Ly Tong Ba was a brigadier general in the South Vietnamese army.
- Ly Hung is a Vietnamese actor, filmmaker, former martial artist, entrepreneur, philanthropist, activist and occasional singer.
- Ly Tu Trong was a Vietnamese revolutionary remembered as a martyr after his execution by the French at age 17.
- Ly Thai Hung is the chairman of Viet Tan, elected in September 2022 at its 9th Party Congress.