Lilyana
A feminine name of Latin origin, meaning "lily" or "lilac flower".
Name Census estimates that about 9,537 living Americans carry the first name Lilyana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lilyana today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lilyana births was 2012 (649 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lilyana. 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.
Key insights
- • Lilyana is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 13 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
9.5K
~ 1 in 35,939 Americans
Peak year
2012
649 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#897
Tracked since 1981
Popularity
Lilyana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lilyana from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 5,257 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
Lilyana 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 Lilyana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lilyanas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 42 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Lilyana, while West Virginia, Alaska, Maine recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 200 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lilyana
The given name Lilyana has its roots in the Slavic languages, particularly Russian and Bulgarian. It is a feminine form derived from the name Lilia, which itself stems from the Latin word "lilium," meaning "lily." The lily flower has long been associated with purity, innocence, and beauty in various cultures across Europe and Asia.
The name Lilyana gained prominence in the early 19th century, during the Russian Empire's expansion and cultural influence across Eastern Europe and parts of Central Asia. It was particularly popular among the noble and aristocratic classes, who often adopted names with floral and nature-inspired meanings as a symbol of refinement and elegance.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Lilyana can be traced back to the 18th century, when it appeared in Russian literature and historical records. However, its popularity rose significantly in the 19th and early 20th centuries, as evidenced by the birth records of prominent Russian and Bulgarian families.
Among the notable historical figures who bore the name Lilyana, one can mention:
1. Lilyana Ivanovna Khitrovo (1787-1856), a Russian noblewoman and philanthropist, known for her charitable work and support of educational institutions.
2. Lilyana Dimitrova (1897-1979), a Bulgarian actress and theatre director, renowned for her performances in classical plays and her contributions to the development of modern Bulgarian theatre.
3. Lilyana Pravedna (1905-1992), a Bulgarian writer and translator, best known for her translations of Russian literature into Bulgarian, as well as her own works of fiction and poetry.
4. Lilyana Georgieva (1923-2009), a Bulgarian painter and artist, celebrated for her vibrant landscapes and portraiture, and her influential role in the development of modern Bulgarian art.
5. Lilyana Pavlova (1935-2022), a renowned Bulgarian opera singer and soprano, who performed on prestigious stages around the world, including the Bolshoi Theatre and the Metropolitan Opera.
Throughout its history, the name Lilyana has been associated with grace, beauty, and artistic expression, reflecting the cultural significance of the lily flower in Slavic traditions. While its usage may have fluctuated over time, the name continues to hold a special place in the cultural heritage of Eastern European nations, particularly Russia and Bulgaria.
People
Lilyana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lilyana 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
Lilyana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lilyana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9,537 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lilyana 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 35,939 US residents.
Is Lilyana a common name?
We classify Lilyana as "Rare". It ranks above 97.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 9,629 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lilyana most popular?
The single biggest year for Lilyana was 2012, when 649 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lilyana is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lilyana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lilyana 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.