How popular is Lily, really?

I normally completely shy away from names in the top 100, but [name]Lily[/name] has been a favorite of mine since I was a child. As much as I try to find other girls’ names I love, I still swoon when I hear [name]Lily[/name]. Hubby and I love [name]Lilla[/name] nn [name]Lily[/name]. My question for you–how popular is [name]Lily[/name], really? Is it a boring name to you now? [name]How[/name] many do you know/heard of in your area? Thanks!

My wife is an elementary school teacher, and I always look at her role. I dont recall seeing a [name]Lilly[/name]/[name]Lillie[/name] or any derivative. Also, having worked in youth ministry for years, I dont recall one either.

I think it’s a beautiful name. I’d run with it!

It’s pretty popular with the 6 and under crowd at least where I live. Older kids not so much, but when I go out to a playplace with just my little 2, yeah, there seems to always be at least one. I know 3 [name]Lily[/name]'s locally (and several friends on FB who live all over have a [name]Lily[/name]) and am on another message board and there are quite a few with this name. My DH’s paternal grandmother was named [name]Lillian[/name] and I thought that was a neat name, and while I still do love it, its way too common for me to choose it. But do not let the popularity bug you if its a name you both really love! I do not love it enough to use it personally but if I did, I would. :slight_smile:

I only know 1 little girl named [name]Lily[/name] and 1 named [name]Lillian[/name]. My dog is also named [name]Lily[/name]. I named my dog [name]Lily[/name] thinking I would never use it since it seemed to be so popular but now I regret it. [name]Lily[/name] is my favourite name.

I live in Ontario and it’s HUGE. In 2011 one of my friends had a Lilia, and two had nieces called Lily and Lillian. All three babies go by Lil or Lily. The kids’ store I worked in for years had a lot of Lilys running around from 2008-on (our joke was that if you yelled Olivia, Lily, Owen, and Ben in the store at any time you were guaranteed to get a response, even if there were only a couple of kids in the store…)

If Lily’s your favourite name, though, just use it!If you’re looking for alternatives, then there’s Leila, Calla, Alys?

I am in the midwest and I hear [name]Lily[/name] a fair amount (I know 4 [name]Lily[/name]'s under age 5). That said, I don’t think popularity should [name]EVER[/name] turn you away from a name you swoon over! My good friend is still kicking herself with regret that she didn’t name her daughter [name]Hannah[/name]…she picked something else because [name]Hannah[/name] was so popular, and now she wishes she had used it, and even sees her daughter as a [name]Hannah[/name] sometimes. And her daughter is 8 years old! I would hate for you to live in regret for leaving [name]Lily[/name] behind over fear of popularity. [name]Even[/name] with a #1 name, there is no guarantee she will have a classmate with the same name (popularity is so spread out these days, it is not like being named [name]Jennifer[/name] in the 70s/80s). My nephew has a top 5 name and has never ‘shared’ his name with a classmate. On the other hand, his little brother (name well out of the top 100) had a boy in his class with the same name. You can’t predict anything, all you can do is choose a name that makes your heart happy!

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I only know one [name]Lily[/name] under the age of five. I went to high school with a [name]Lillian[/name] ([name]Lilly[/name]) and a former pastor’s wife was [name]Lillian[/name] nn [name]Lilly[/name], but that’s all I’ve come across. It’s top 20, so they obviously have to be somewhere, but not near me, apparently! haha. I love it. [name]Liliana[/name], which is on my short list, honors both my grandmothers, so if I get a chance, I probably would use [name]Liliana[/name] nn [name]Lily[/name]! I think it’s gorgeous.

I agree with pp it is impossible to predict how popular a name will be in your area. My son had 2 Bennetts and 2 Paulos in his Pre K 4 class and not one top 10 name last year. I do too have name regret for not using [name]Kate[/name] since I knew so many so I would definitely use [name]Lily[/name] if u love it.

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. We both really do love [name]Lily[/name]! We would probably use [name]Lilla[/name] nn [name]Lily[/name]…and [name]Lilla[/name] isn’t even on the charts…so that’s something for my popularity-shyness, anyways. :slight_smile:

Have you considered [name]Lilac[/name]? I love it, [name]Liliana[/name] is also very nice. Perhaps [name]Lily[/name] as a middle name?

I know one [name]Lily[/name] who is about 6, and an [name]Elizabeth[/name] about 10 who goes by [name]Lily[/name]. No baby Lilys in my world. I know two women in their 20s who are both [name]Liliana[/name] nn [name]Lili[/name] - go figure! I think it’s lovely and you should go for it! It’s a top contendor - my husband loves it and while I initially never thought it anything special, with his love for it and reflecting on it’s taken on a lot of meaning. I think good stories and love for the name are so much more important than worrying about the popular. Maybe I’m biased since I had a basically positive experience as a [name]Jessica[/name] in the 1980s, so popularity doesn’t scare me very much at all.

Good luck whatever you decide! [name]Lilla[/name] is very pretty too with nn [name]Lily[/name] or no!

Luckily, I believe [name]Lily[/name] is used more often than not as a middle name. In fact, whereas I know many girls with the mn [name]Lily[/name] I know hardly any with the first name [name]Lily[/name]. Though, if you’re going to run into any trouble it’s going to be with the six and under crowd. [name]Flower[/name] names are extremely popular right now.

Popularity aside, [name]Lily[/name] is a sweet and timeless choice.

I know a few [name]Lily[/name]'s. But I still like the name!

I know two. [name]One[/name] is [name]Lillian[/name] nn [name]Lilly[/name] and the other is just [name]Lily[/name]. [name]Both[/name] are under age 4.

I live in the midwest and am in my mid twenties and I’ve only ever known one lily and she’s a teenager now. If you love it, I agree-- you should go for it!

I’m so happy to hear so much positive feedback on [name]Lily[/name]! I really do love it. Here’s to hoping we get our own little [name]Lily[/name]–just about to start TTC! :slight_smile:

Pretty popular around here. I know of about 7 under the age of 5 or so.

I know 6 [name]Lily[/name]'s under 6 years old. (1 [name]Lillian[/name], but goes by [name]Lily[/name]. Another is spelled [name]Lilly[/name].) It’s popular where I live. But I [name]DO[/name] love the name. I’d say go for it!

I know 4 Lilys in the 4 and under crowd and quite a few [name]Lila[/name]'s also. It’s pretty popular, but also a gorgeous name! If you love it, go for it!

I normally love flower names but this one I’m not too keen on [name]Lily[/name]. I do like [name]Liliana[/name], [name]Lilia[/name] and [name]Lilac[/name] though [name]Lily[/name] as a nickname for [name]Lilac[/name] could be a stretch? I’m not sure. Maybe use it as a middle name? Also don’t wory about the name being so popular, I used a name that is very popular now but I don’t regret it at all. It’s just a name we both loved and I don’t know any [name]Isobel[/name]'s other than my own daughter. On the other hand I know 2 others with my eldest daughters name but spelt differently. I wouldn’t let the popularity spoil a name you love.