UK girl's name
Lilah
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "night" or "nocturnal".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Lilah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Lilah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #116, with 416 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 513 births.
This profile covers 3,867 England and Wales registrations across 27 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 81% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 4,198 living people in the UK are called Lilah. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Lilah ranked #116 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 416 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2023, when 513 girls were registered as Lilah.
- • Lilah ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #108 in 2024.
- • About 4,198 living people in the UK are estimated to have Lilah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#116
2024
Births in 2024
416
Latest year
Peak year
2023
513 births
Estimated living
4,198
2026
Meaning
What does Lilah mean?
The name Lilah has its origins in the Hebrew language, derived from the word "lailah," meaning "night" or "night-born." It is believed to have emerged during the ancient times in the Middle Eastern region, particularly among the Jewish community.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lilah can be found in the Old Testament of the Bible. In the Book of Isaiah, a passage mentions "the daughter of Lilah," suggesting the use of this name during the biblical era.
Lilah was also a prominent figure in the Talmud, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism. The Talmud references a woman named Lilah who was known for her wisdom and scholarly contributions.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Lilah. One such person was Lilah Mercer (1880-1959), an American author and playwright who wrote several successful Broadway plays in the early 20th century.
Another notable figure was Lilah Denton (1918-2005), an American artist and sculptor who gained recognition for her abstract and minimalist works. Her sculptures can be found in various museums and public spaces across the United States.
In the field of music, Lilah Tov (1928-2018) was a renowned Israeli singer and actress. She was widely celebrated for her contributions to the Israeli music industry and her performances in theater productions.
Lilah Kedrova (1904-1992) was a Russian-born actress who achieved international fame for her role in the film "Zorba the Greek" in 1964, for which she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Lastly, Lilah Raptopoulos (born in 1983) is a contemporary American journalist and author. She has written for various publications, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and has published several books exploring topics related to culture and identity.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Lilah throughout history, each leaving their mark in their respective fields and contributing to the richness and diversity of cultures across the globe.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Lilah over time
The chart below shows babies named Lilah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Lilah, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 416 births in 2024, compared with 513 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lilah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Lilah was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #139 | 1,926 | 5 |
| 2010s | #317 | 1,680 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1413 | 254 | 10 |
| 1990s | #3487 | 7 | 2 |
Geography
Where Lilah is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Lilah. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Lilah ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #108 in 2024.
Across the UK
Lilah in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#108 in 2024
13 years of NRS records, 233 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#110 in 2024
13 years of NISRA records, 116 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Lilah
-
Lilah Fear
ice dancer
British ice dancer
1999-
-
Lilah Fowler
visual artist
1981-
Related
Names similar to Lilah
- Lily 72,956
- Lucy 70,663
- Lauren 50,664
- Leah 33,185
- Lola 24,525
- Layla 24,520
- Laura 23,471
- Lilly 21,714
- Lydia 18,353
- Libby 14,515
- Lara 13,415
- Lacey 13,406
FAQ
Lilah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Lilah in the UK right now?
In 2024, Lilah was ranked #116 for girls in England and Wales, with 416 births registered.
When was Lilah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2023, with 513 babies registered as Lilah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Lilah?
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "night" or "nocturnal".
How many people are called Lilah in the UK?
A total of 3,867 babies have been registered as Lilah across the 27 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 233 more in Scotland and 116 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Lilah most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Lilah ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #108 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.