Girl Names baby nameLily

What does the name Lily mean?

The different meanings of the name Lily are:
  • English meaning: Lily, Blossoming flower
  • Latin meaning: flower, symbol of purity, innocence and beauty
The meaning of the name “Lily” is different in several languages, countries and cultures and has more than one possibly same or different meanings available.

Additional information: Lily as a name comes from the Latin word lilium, both of which refer to the flower we know as a lily flower. This Latin word was borrowed from a series of other languages, but its roots are thought to be from ancient Egypt where the name of the lotus flower was taken in by the Hebrews and changed over time until it has ended as it is now with the word lily. Over the centuries lilies have come to represent purity and innocence, being used often in weddings and funerals or in religious celebrations such as Easter. It’s meaning is usually said to be “innocence”, “purity”, or “a blossoming flower”.

This name has a large number of variations used widely around the world, including Lilian, Lillian, Liliana, Lilliana, Lillie, Lilly, or Lillia. One similar name to Lily is the Hebrew name Susanna, which is derived from the same Egyptian origins and actually means “lily”. Some commonly used nicknames for Lily are Lil, Leelee, and Liana.

Popularity of the name was high in many countries in 2014, although it did not reach its overall peak usage in this year. In 2014 in the US it was ranked as the 27th most popular baby girl name, in the UK it was ranked at #9, in Canada it was ranked at #8, and in Australia it was ranked at #21. Outside of the English speaking countries, it was ranked #32 in Belgium and #41 in France in 2014. In the US the name was sparsely used until 1992 when it broke into the top 500 baby girl names chart, reaching its American usage peak at 15th most popular in 2011. The highest the name has ever been ranked was 2nd most popular in Scotland in 2011. It is particularly popular in England and Wales, where it was the 8th most popular name in 2007. It reached the 33rd spot in the US in 2006, and in the same year was the 10th most popular name in New Zealand.

Some celebrities and notable people who share the name are Lily Allen, a singer; Lily James, an actress; Lily Lane, a singer; and Lily Tomlin, an actress.