Total births
475,028
Girls' name · since 1880
Lillian
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 475,028 babies named Lillian, peaking in 1920. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #54
- among girls today
- 475,028
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 99.7%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Lillian is the #54 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 475,028 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Lillian recorded 475,028 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #54 nationally today, ahead of 99.7% of girls, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #54 among girls today
- 475,028 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 99.7% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Lillian is currently the #54 girls' name in America, more common than 99.7% of girls - 475,028 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #54
- among girls today
- 475,028
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 99.7%
- more common than other girls
Lillian vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#54
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99.7% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Lillian was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
10,049 babies were named Lillian in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
How Lillian compares
475,028 Top 0% higher than 100% 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
Lillian's all-time total is 1,244x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lillian | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 475,028 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 10,049 | 48 | 19,840 |
Lillian's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Lillian's full recorded timeline at 1953, 39% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 61% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1978, with just 399 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1920 peak of 10,049 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Lillian at a glance
Top 100 girls' namePeak year
1920
Current rank
#54
Active since
1880
Lillian popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1920)
- 10,049
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Lillian popularity over time - boys
1,429 total births recorded since 1882 (Lillian as boys' name)
Lillian by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Lillian's strongest decade.
83,160 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Lillian births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 11,270
1880s
11,270 births
- 1890s 24,106
1890s
24,106 births
- 1900s 32,519
1900s
32,519 births
- 1910s
1910s
75,914 births
- 1920s
1920s
83,160 births
- 1930s
1930s
37,391 births
- 1940s 22,315
1940s
22,315 births
- 1950s 16,509
1950s
16,509 births
- 1960s 10,606
1960s
10,606 births
- 1970s 5,364
1970s
5,364 births
- 1980s 5,390
1980s
5,390 births
- 1990s 11,229
1990s
11,229 births
- 2000s
2000s
49,393 births
- 2010s
2010s
64,960 births
- 2020s 24,902
2020s
24,902 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 83,160 births (18% of all-time use).
How Lillian 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 Lillian's total volume
Lillian vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Lillian by state
Where Lillian concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 42,524 | 9.0% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 25,187 | 5.3% |
| #3 | Texas | | 21,512 | 4.5% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 20,799 | 4.4% |
| #5 | California | | 18,981 | 4.0% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 18,491 | 3.9% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 15,074 | 3.2% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 14,623 | 3.1% |
New York share of Lillian's total US births 9.0%
Even split
42,524 of 475,028 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Lillian appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lillian? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 475,028 babies named Lillian. Today it holds rank #54 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1920, with 10,049 births.
When was Lillian most popular? ▼
Lillian was most popular in the 1920s decade with 83,160 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Lillian most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lillian are New York (42,524 births), Pennsylvania (25,187 births), Texas (21,512 births).
How long has the name Lillian been used? ▼
Records for Lillian go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Lillian? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lily, Lillie, Lila, Liliana, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Lillian's data
- Lillian's decade-level peak was the 1920s (83,160 total births); usage has since declined to 24,902 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Lillians (42,524 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Lillian
Nearby Names Like Lillian
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lillian
Lily Girl
#24 189,644 births
Lillie Girl
#682 158,918 births
Lila Girl
#206 76,493 births
Liliana Girl
#80 74,990 births
Lilly Girl
#261 66,728 births
Compare Lillian side by side: Lillian vs Lily Lillian vs Lillie Lillian vs Lila
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lillian
Leah #53
256,488 births · Peak 2009
Genesis #55
93,578 births · Peak 2016
Hannah #52
465,685 births · Peak 2000
Josephine #56
331,467 births · Peak 1918
Maya #51
123,587 births · Peak 2006
Sadie #57
149,681 births · Peak 2014
Delilah #50
66,683 births · Peak 2024
Adeline #58
80,812 births · Peak 2016
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. "Lillian: #54 Girls' Name - 475,028 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lillian. 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 Lillian 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.