UK girl's name
Lilley
Name of English origin representing a variant of the flower name lily.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Lilley is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Lilley popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5669, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2014, with 17 births.
This profile covers 154 England and Wales registrations across 21 recorded years from 1998 to 2022. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 18% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 156 living people in the UK are called Lilley. 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 2023 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Lilley ranked #5669 for girls in England and Wales in 2022, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2014, when 17 girls were registered as Lilley.
- • Lilley ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #816 in 2013.
- • About 156 living people in the UK are estimated to have Lilley as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5669
2022
Births in 2022
3
Latest year
Peak year
2014
17 births
Estimated living
156
2026
Meaning
What does Lilley mean?
The name Lilley is rooted in the Old English word "lilie," which means "lily" or "lily flower." This name has its origins in England, specifically in the region of Lincolnshire, where it was derived from a place name referring to a location where lilies grew abundantly.
Historically, the name Lilley was often used as a surname, but it eventually transitioned into a given name as well. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lilley dates back to the 12th century, when it appeared in the Domesday Book, a survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086.
Among the notable individuals who bore the name Lilley throughout history is Lilley Lill, an English composer and organist who lived from 1763 to 1839. He was renowned for his contributions to church music and his compositions for the organ.
Another prominent figure was Lilley Burt, an American educator and writer who lived from 1874 to 1954. She was a pioneering advocate for women's education and served as the president of Williams College, a prestigious women's institution, from 1920 to 1941.
In the literary world, Lilley Lunt was an acclaimed American author and journalist who lived from 1890 to 1968. She was known for her novels, short stories, and her work as a war correspondent during World War II.
The name Lilley also has historical significance in the realm of politics. Lilley Browne was an American politician and lawyer who lived from 1891 to 1976. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the state of Missouri from 1949 to 1957.
Lastly, Lilley Saunders was a British actress who graced the stage and screen from 1917 to 1998. She was renowned for her performances in various theatrical productions and appeared in several notable films throughout her illustrious career.
These individuals, spanning various fields and eras, have contributed to the rich history and legacy of the name Lilley, which continues to be cherished and celebrated for its beautiful floral origins and enduring charm.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Lilley over time
The chart below shows babies named Lilley registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1998 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Lilley, the clearest high point is 2014. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2022, compared with 17 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lilley by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Lilley 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 | #5102 | 7 | 2 |
| 2010s | #2782 | 105 | 10 |
| 2000s | #3554 | 36 | 7 |
| 1990s | #3874 | 6 | 2 |
Geography
Where Lilley is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Lilley. 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.
Lilley ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #816 in 2013.
Across the UK
Lilley in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#816 in 2013
1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered
Related
Names similar to Lilley
- 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
Lilley: questions and answers
How popular is the name Lilley in the UK right now?
In 2022, Lilley was ranked #5669 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Lilley most popular?
The peak year on record was 2014, with 17 babies registered as Lilley in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Lilley?
Name of English origin representing a variant of the flower name lily.
How many people are called Lilley in the UK?
A total of 154 babies have been registered as Lilley across the 21 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.
Where is Lilley most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Lilley ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #816 in 2013. 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.