Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Lilian

Lilian is a slightly altered version of the more commonly spelled Lillian (with two “l”s). Most etymologists believe that Lillian developed as a medieval pet form of Elizabeth, in which case Lilian means “God is my oath” (for more information on the historical background of Elizabeth, please see that name page). Others believe Lilian may have developed as an embellished version of Lily, from the Latin “lilium”, which describes a large, elegant and showy garden flower. Since the days of ancient Greece, the lily flower symbolized chastity and virtue (believed to have sprung from the breast milk of Hera, Queen Goddess). Later on the Lily flower became connected to ideals of purity and innocence surrounding the Virgin Mary in Catholic tradition.

All About the Baby Name – Lilian

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME LILIAN

The Three energy is powerful and enthusiastic. These personalities are cheerful, full of self-expression, and often quite emotional. They have an artistic flair and "gift-of-gab" that makes them natural entertainers. Their joyfulness bubbles over, and their infectious exuberance draws a crowd. The Three personality is like a child - forever young and full of delight. They are charming, witty, and generally happy people. The Three personality lives in the "now" and has a spontaneous nature. Threes seem to live with a bright and seemingly unbreakable aura that attracts others to them. In turn, they are deeply loyal and loving to their friends and family. Luck also has a tendency to favor number Threes.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME LILIAN

Lillian is currently the 25th most popular baby girl’s name nationwide (based on 2012 data). Lilian with one “l” is much less popular, but it’s still riding the tidal wave created by Lillian’s revival. Lilian was around in the late 19th century and early 20th century, but she pretty much retreated into the shadows by the mid-1920s. Lilian did not return to America’s Top 1000 list of baby girl names until recently in 1997 (right when Lillian began to show some serious promise on the charts). Even still, Lily has them all beat in the popularity contest (she was ranked #16 in 2012). Indeed, there are a lot of “Lily” names on the Top 1000 list today. Like Eleanor and Evelyn, Lilian is a name with antique charm written all over her.

Quick Facts

ON LILIAN

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

495

PRONUNCIATION:

LIL-ee-ən

SIMPLE MEANING:

God is my oath (Elizabeth) or Lily the flower

Characteristics

OF LILIAN

Communicative

Creative

Optimistic

Popular

Social

Dramatic

Happy

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Lilian

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME LILIAN

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Lilian

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME LILIAN

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Lilian


Popular Songs

ON LILIAN

Lilian
a song by Depeche Mode

Famous People

NAMED LILIAN

Lilian Thuram (French footballer, male)
Lilián García (WWE Diva)
Lilian Baylis (English theater producer/manager)
Lilian Harvey (actress)
Lilian Jackson Braun (American author)

Children of Famous People

NAMED LILIAN

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Lilian

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME LILIAN

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Lilian