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Summary
- No one named Lillian or Lilian appears in the Bible, and the name has no Hebrew origin.
- Lillian was probably first a diminutive of Elizabeth, and it can also be read as a longer form of Lily, from Latin lilium.
- Elizabeth, Hebrew Elisheba, “my God is an oath,” is the mother of John the Baptist (Luke 1).
- The Bible name that means “lily” is Susanna, from Hebrew shoshan; a Susanna followed Jesus (Luke 8:3).
- Jesus said, “Consider the lilies of the field” (Matthew 6:28); lilies also appear in the Song of Songs and on Solomon’s temple.
- Lillian ranked 10th among American girls’ names from 1898 to 1901 and 57th in 2025.
Bibliography (Click to show)
- Behind the Name, “Lillian,” “Lilian,” “Liliana,” “Lily,” “Elizabeth” and “Susanna,” with United States popularity figures from Social Security Administration data. https://www.behindthename.com/name/lillian
- “Lilium candidum,” Wikipedia, on the Madonna lily in Christian art and the identity of the biblical lily. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilium_candidum
- “Martyrs of Córdoba” and “Aurelius and Natalia,” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurelius_and_Natalia
- “Lillian Trasher,” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lillian_Trasher
- Scripture quotations: Matthew 6:28–29; Luke 1:6; Song of Songs 2:1–2; 1 Kings 7:19, 26, English Standard Version. References: Exodus 6:23; Luke 8:1–3; 12:27; Daniel 13 (Catholic Bibles).
