Lilliam
A feminine name derived from the Hebrew name Lilith.
Name Census estimates that about 554 living Americans carry the first name Lilliam. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lilliam today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lilliam births was 1966 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lilliam. 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
554
~ 1 in 618,690 Americans
Peak year
1966
23 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
2024 SSA rank
#14,464
Tracked since 1886
Popularity
Lilliam: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lilliam from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 14 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 166 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lilliam 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 Lilliam during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lilliams live
Origin
Meaning and history of Lilliam
The name Lilliam is a variant spelling of the English name Lillian, which is derived from the French name Lilian. It ultimately traces its roots back to the Latin name Lilia, a feminine form of the masculine name Lilius, which was a Roman family name derived from the Latin word lilium, meaning "lily."
The lily flower has long been associated with purity, innocence, and beauty in various cultures, which may explain the appeal of names derived from it. The name Lilliam likely emerged as an alternative spelling in English-speaking regions during the late 19th or early 20th century.
While the name Lilliam does not have a particularly long or well-documented history, there are a few notable individuals who have borne this name throughout the years. One of the earliest recorded instances is Lilliam Massey (1857-1919), an American educator and women's rights activist from Georgia.
Another notable figure is Lilliam Alling (1868-1946), an American actress and vaudeville performer who was active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She was known for her comedy routines and appearances in various stage productions.
In the literary realm, Lilliam Beckwith (1904-1989) was an American author and illustrator of children's books, best known for her work on the Madeline series, which featured a young French girl named Madeline.
Moving to more recent times, Lilliam Gish (1893-1993) was an American actress who had a prolific career spanning both the silent film era and the transition to "talkies." She is considered one of the most influential actresses of the early 20th century.
Lastly, Lilliam Norwood (1920-2005) was an American jazz singer and actress who performed with various big bands and appeared in several films and television shows throughout her career.
While not an extremely common name, Lilliam has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, each leaving their mark on history in their own unique way.
People
Lilliam + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lilliam 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
Lilliam: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lilliam?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 554 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lilliam 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 618,690 US residents.
Is Lilliam a common name?
We classify Lilliam as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 825 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lilliam most popular?
The single biggest year for Lilliam was 1966, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lilliam is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lilliam a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lilliam 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.