Total births
20,470
Girls' name · since 1880
Lilian
Lilian has 20,470 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2007 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #557
- among girls today
- 20,470
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Lilian is the #557 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 20,470 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Lilian has been recorded 20,470 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #557 nationally and more common than 97% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #557 among girls today
- 20,470 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 97% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Lilian is currently the #557 girls' name in America, more common than 97% of girls - 20,470 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #557
- among girls today
- 20,470
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
Lilian vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#557
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 97% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
29% of everyone ever named Lilian was born in this single decade.
2007
Single peak year
786 babies were named Lilian in 2007 - its busiest year on record.
How Lilian compares
20,470 Top 6% higher than 94% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Lilian's all-time total is 54x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lilian | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 20,470 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 786 | 48 | 19,840 |
Lilian's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Lilian's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 89% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 11%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1937, with only 8 births recorded -- set against the 2007 peak of 786, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Lilian at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2007
Current rank
#557
Active since
1880
Lilian popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2007)
- 786
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Lilian by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Lilian's strongest decade.
5,935 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Lilian births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 213
1880s
213 births
- 1890s 280
1890s
280 births
- 1900s 282
1900s
282 births
- 1910s 637
1910s
637 births
- 1920s 453
1920s
453 births
- 1930s 173
1930s
173 births
- 1940s 154
1940s
154 births
- 1950s 190
1950s
190 births
- 1960s 315
1960s
315 births
- 1970s 475
1970s
475 births
- 1980s 717
1980s
717 births
- 1990s 1,817
1990s
1,817 births
- 2000s
2000s
5,783 births
- 2010s
2010s
5,935 births
- 2020s
2020s
3,046 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 5,935 births (29% of all-time use).
How Lilian compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Lilian's total volume
Lilian vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Lilian by state
Where Lilian concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 3,180 | 15.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,841 | 9.0% |
| #3 | New York | | 1,155 | 5.6% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 840 | 4.1% |
| #5 | Florida | | 698 | 3.4% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 668 | 3.3% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 519 | 2.5% |
| #8 | Virginia | | 487 | 2.4% |
California share of Lilian's total US births 15.5%
Even split
3,180 of 20,470 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 48 reporting states.
Lilian appears in 48 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lilian? ▼
Lilian has been given to 20,470 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #557 as of the latest data. 786 babies were born in 2007, its single highest year.
When was Lilian most popular? ▼
Lilian was most popular in the 2010s decade with 5,935 total births. The single peak year was 2007.
Where is Lilian most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lilian are California (3,180 births), Texas (1,841 births), New York (1,155 births).
How long has the name Lilian been used? ▼
Lilian has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Lilian? ▼
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 Lilian's data
- Lilian's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (5,935 total births) through the 2020s (3,046) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Lilians (3,180 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- 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 Lilian
Nearby Names Like Lilian
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lilian
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 Lilian side by side: Lilian vs Lillian Lilian vs Lily Lilian vs Lillie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lilian
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Lilian: #557 Girls' Name - 20,470 Births, Peak 2007." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lilian/. 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 Lilian 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 June 2026.