Lilia

Lilia and Liliya are both Russian transcriptions of Lily. Lily essentially comes from the vocabulary word for the flower of the same name, from the Greek “leiron” and the Latin “lilium” (a “lily”). Believe it or not, the word Lily is used as a corrupt translation of the Biblical Hebrew Shoshana (Susanna) meaning “lily” (the name may have its original roots in the Egyptian word “sšn” meaning “lotus”). See the name Susanna for more detail. The Lily plant is a large, elegant and showy garden flower, and the word has become near synonymous with adjectives such as “lovely, white, pure”. The ancient Greeks were so enamored with the Lily flower that they believed it sprouted from the milk of Hera (the queen of all gods). The usage of flower names for girls took hold more than 100 years ago when names like Daisy, Iris, Rose and Violet came into vogue. Lily, in particular, has soared back into fashionable use today and you will find this name on the Top 10 lists in Scotland, England and Canada (and a Top 15 in the United States, Australia, Ireland and Northern Ireland). It’s no surprise that the Russian Lilia has come to join the party.