Lilly
Say it: LIL-ee/ˈlɪl.i/
GirlMeans lily, the flower5 letters2 syllables
#141
in Ireland (2025)
32
babies in 2025
#75
best rank (2012)
1,302
babies since 1983
Down 61
10-year rank change
Lilly through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 32 | #141 |
| 2024 | 37 | #125 |
| 2023 | 47 | #108 |
| 2022 | 40 | #134 |
| 2021 | 30 | #161 |
| 2020 | 53 | #102 |
| 2019 | 51 | #106 |
| 2018 | 72 | #85 |
| 2017 | 63 | #95 |
| 2016 | 70 | #84 |
| 2015 | 81 | #80 |
| 2014 | 90 | #76 |
| 2013 | 75 | #86 |
| 2012 | 94 | #75 |
| 2011 | 91 | #78 |
| 2010 | 91 | #77 |
| 2009 | 60 | #109 |
| 2008 | 65 | #102 |
| 2007 | 52 | #114 |
| 2006 | 40 | #135 |
| 2005 | 26 | #173 |
| 2004 | 16 | #235 |
| 2003 | 12 | #279 |
| 2002 | 4 | #512 |
| 2001 | 3 | #606 |
| 1999 | 4 | #439 |
| 1983 | 3 | #529 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Lilly mean?
Lily, the flower
English, a variant spelling of Lily, also used as a pet form of Lillian and Elizabeth.
Say it right
LILee
The story of Lilly
Lilly is another way of spelling Lily, the flower name. It sounds exactly the same. The name has also long served as a pet form of Lillian and of Elizabeth, and some girls called Lilly are named with those in mind.
Lilly with two l’s follows Lily’s fortunes, usually a step behind. It is also an English surname, in some cases taken from the English place name Lilley.
Lily itself sits near the very top of the Irish list, and the CSO counts the two spellings separately. Lilly first reached the list in 1983, but only took off in the 2000s. It had its best year in 2012, when 94 girls were named Lilly and it reached number 75. In 2025 there were 32. It has been used less in Northern Ireland, where its best rank was 106th, in 2011.
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Sources
- Wiktionary: Lilly (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Lilly (given name)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Lilly | 32 | 1,302 |
In Northern Ireland
#177 in 2025 with 10 babies. Best rank #106 (2011); 293 babies since 2005.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.