UK girl's name
Lilou
A French feminine name derived from the flower 'lily', symbolizing purity and innocence.
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.
Lilou is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Lilou popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3318, with 7 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2016, with 12 births.
This profile covers 107 England and Wales registrations across 18 recorded years from 2004 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 58% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 107 living people in the UK are called Lilou. 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
- • Lilou ranked #3318 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 7 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2016, when 12 girls were registered as Lilou.
- • About 107 living people in the UK are estimated to have Lilou as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3318
2024
Births in 2024
7
Latest year
Peak year
2016
12 births
Estimated living
107
2026
Meaning
What does Lilou mean?
The name Lilou is believed to have originated in France, likely during the late 19th or early 20th century. It is a diminutive form of the French name Lili, which itself is a shortened version of the name Liliane. Liliane is derived from the Greek name Aeilian, meaning "sun ray" or "sunshine."
While the name Lilou does not have any direct historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its roots can be traced back to the Greek language and culture. The earliest recorded use of the name Lilou is difficult to pinpoint with certainty, but it gained popularity in France during the 20th century.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Lilou was Lilou Chery, a French actress born in 1960. She appeared in various French films and television shows throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
Another prominent figure with the name Lilou was Lilou Fogli, a French singer and actress born in 1965. She gained recognition for her role in the 1986 film "Subway" directed by Luc Besson.
In the literary world, Lilou Macé is a French author and poet born in 1975. She has published several collections of poetry and has received numerous literary awards in France.
Lilou Gremillet is a French contemporary artist born in 1985. Her works often explore themes of identity, femininity, and cultural heritage, and she has exhibited her art internationally.
Lilou Fogli, a French actress and singer born in 1965, is also known for her role in the 1986 film "Subway" and for her music career in the 1980s and 1990s.
While the name Lilou is primarily associated with France, it has gained some popularity in other parts of the world, particularly among French-speaking communities or those with cultural ties to France.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Lilou over time
The chart below shows babies named Lilou registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2004 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 Lilou, the clearest high point is 2016. The latest England and Wales figure is 7 births in 2024, compared with 12 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lilou by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Lilou 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 | #3544 | 32 | 5 |
| 2010s | #3414 | 57 | 8 |
| 2000s | #4561 | 18 | 5 |
Related
Names similar to Lilou
- 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
Lilou: questions and answers
How popular is the name Lilou in the UK right now?
In 2024, Lilou was ranked #3318 for girls in England and Wales, with 7 births registered.
When was Lilou most popular?
The peak year on record was 2016, with 12 babies registered as Lilou in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Lilou?
A French feminine name derived from the flower 'lily', symbolizing purity and innocence.
How many people are called Lilou in the UK?
A total of 107 babies have been registered as Lilou across the 18 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
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.