Total births
126
Girls' name · since 1916
Lil
126 babies named Lil in U.S. Social Security records since 1916, with the highest year being 1957. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 126
- total births
- 1916–1986
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 36%
- born in that decade
Lil is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 126 have been recorded since 1916.
Lil has 126 recorded births among girls since 1916, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1916 to 1986.
- 126 total births
- 1916–1986 years on record
- 1950s peak decade
- 36% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
126 girls have been named Lil since 1916, peaking in the 1950s, last recorded in 1986.
- 126
- total births
- 1916–1986
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 36%
- born in that decade
1950s
Peak decade
36% of everyone ever named Lil was born in this single decade.
1957
Single peak year
14 babies were named Lil in 1957 - its busiest year on record.
Lil's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Lil splits its recorded history at 1958: 51% of all births land in the more recent half, 49% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1918 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1957 peak of 14 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Lil at a glance
Last recorded 1986Peak year
1957
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1916
Lil popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1916–1986
- Peak year (1957)
- 14
- Annual births at peak, across 71 years of records
Lil by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Lil's strongest decade.
45 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Lil births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 11
1910s
11 births
- 1920s 10
1920s
10 births
- 1940s 11
1940s
11 births
- 1950s
1950s
45 births
- 1960s
1960s
39 births
- 1980s 10
1980s
10 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 45 births (36% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lil? ▼
Since 1916, Social Security records show 126 babies named Lil. The most recent recorded year was 1986. Its busiest year on record was 1957, with 14 births.
When was Lil most popular? ▼
Lil was most popular in the 1950s decade with 45 total births. The single peak year was 1957.
How long has the name Lil been used? ▼
Lil has been recorded in Social Security data since 1916, spanning 71 years of data through 1986.
What names are similar to Lil? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lillian, Lily, Lillie, Lila, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Lil's data
- Lil's decade-level peak was the 1950s (45 total births); usage has since declined to 10 in the 1980s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Lil
Nearby Names Like Lil
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lil
Lillian Girl
#54 475,028 births
Lily Girl
#24 189,644 births
Lillie Girl
#682 158,918 births
Lila Girl
#206 76,493 births
Liliana Girl
#80 74,990 births
Compare Lil side by side: Lil vs Lillian Lil vs Lily Lil vs Lillie
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1916–1986 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Lil: Baby Name Since 1916 - 126 Births, Peak 1957." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lil. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Lil draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.