Fun Facts About the Name Lilien
- 40 babies named Lilien: U.S. records list 40 babies given the name Lilien from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Lilien Mean?
Lilien is a feminine name whose most direct source is the German word for lilies: it is the plural of German Lilie, "lily." German Lilie goes back to Latin lilium, which was itself borrowed from Greek leirion, the word for the lily flower. Read this way, the name means simply "lily" or "lilies."
The same spelling also appears in German-speaking and Scandinavian countries as a form of Lillian, French Liliane, and Italian and Spanish Liliana. Those related names are themselves explained in two ways - either as flower names from the same Latin root, or as old pet forms of Elizabeth. The flower meaning belongs to Lilien itself; the Elizabeth explanation belongs to the related names and is not securely attached to this spelling.
Lilien Name History & Origins
Plant and flower words have long been used as girls' names in German-speaking Europe, and Lilien sits within that practice alongside the ordinary German noun for the flower. The lily carried heavy symbolic weight in medieval and early modern Christian Europe: it was a standard emblem of purity, it appears in scenes of the Annunciation, and the stylized lily of the fleur-de-lis became an emblem of French royalty. These are symbolic associations that made lily-based names acceptable for girls; they are not part of the name's literal meaning.
The better-documented lily names spread widely in the 19th century and after: English Lillian, French Liliane, Italian and Spanish Liliana. In German and Scandinavian use, Lilien is often treated as a form of these, which explains why it looks and sounds like them, while its -en ending is at the same time simply the German plural of "lily." The spelling also occurs as a family name, including in Central and Eastern European Jewish families. Published records of Lilien as a given name are sparse, so whether it entered use straight from the flower word, by adaptation of Lillian, or through both routes at once is not firmly documented.
How Popular is the Name Lilien?
Lilien has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2013. Its best rank was #5,412 in 1920.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #16,303 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2022 | #16,689 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2017 | #13,523 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2015 | #15,617 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #14,034 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #18,690 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1920 | #5,412 | 5 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Lilien
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with L
How the Name Lilien Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You always bring to completion anything you start. You are generous but like to see returns from your giving. You have an executive ability, you are a leader. You are moral, balanced, honest and intellectual, and you may attain spirituality. You are wise and practical with an appreciation of beauty. You always think before you act. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Lilien's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Lilien's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.