Lilley
Name of English origin representing a variant of the flower name lily.
Name Census estimates that about 421 living Americans carry the first name Lilley. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lilley today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lilley births was 2008 (33 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lilley. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
421
~ 1 in 814,143 Americans
Peak year
2008
33 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2023 SSA rank
#16,585
Tracked since 1919
Popularity
Lilley: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lilley from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 195 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lilley by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Lilley during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lilleys live
Origin
Meaning and history of Lilley
The name Lilley is rooted in the Old English word "lilie," which means "lily" or "lily flower." This name has its origins in England, specifically in the region of Lincolnshire, where it was derived from a place name referring to a location where lilies grew abundantly.
Historically, the name Lilley was often used as a surname, but it eventually transitioned into a given name as well. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lilley dates back to the 12th century, when it appeared in the Domesday Book, a survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086.
Among the notable individuals who bore the name Lilley throughout history is Lilley Lill, an English composer and organist who lived from 1763 to 1839. He was renowned for his contributions to church music and his compositions for the organ.
Another prominent figure was Lilley Burt, an American educator and writer who lived from 1874 to 1954. She was a pioneering advocate for women's education and served as the president of Williams College, a prestigious women's institution, from 1920 to 1941.
In the literary world, Lilley Lunt was an acclaimed American author and journalist who lived from 1890 to 1968. She was known for her novels, short stories, and her work as a war correspondent during World War II.
The name Lilley also has historical significance in the realm of politics. Lilley Browne was an American politician and lawyer who lived from 1891 to 1976. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the state of Missouri from 1949 to 1957.
Lastly, Lilley Saunders was a British actress who graced the stage and screen from 1917 to 1998. She was renowned for her performances in various theatrical productions and appeared in several notable films throughout her illustrious career.
These individuals, spanning various fields and eras, have contributed to the rich history and legacy of the name Lilley, which continues to be cherished and celebrated for its beautiful floral origins and enduring charm.
People
Lilley + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lilley as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lilley: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lilley?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 421 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lilley going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 814,143 US residents.
Is Lilley a common name?
We classify Lilley as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 430 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lilley most popular?
The single biggest year for Lilley was 2008, when 33 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lilley is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lilley a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lilley in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.