Lilac: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#4,131

among girls · ↓580 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Lilac · -20% vs 2024

How common

1 in 45,922

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2024

44 babies

All-time total

371

#14,155 all-time among girls

First recorded

1979

in Social Security records

Lilac popularity over time

371 babies have been named Lilac since 1979, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	–	–	–
1970s	5	1	–	#11,158
1980s	–	–	–	–
1990s	13	1	–	#11,278
2000s	41	4	+215%	#9,915
2010s	137	14	+234%	#5,259
2020s (to 2025)	175	29	+113%	#3,551

Where Lilac is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	38	0.02	outside top 500
2027	41	0.03	outside top 500
2028	43	0.03	outside top 500
2029	46	0.03	outside top 500
2030	48	0.03	outside top 500

The story of Lilac

Lilac is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,131 in 2025 with 35 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1979, 371 American babies have been named Lilac. Its peak came in 2024, when 44 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Lilac stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Lilac?

The median living Lilac is about 6 years old; half are between 2 and 12. An estimated 400 people named Lilac are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Lilac year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	35	#4,131
2024	44	#3,551
2023	25	#5,200
2022	22	#5,741
2021	25	#5,178
2020	24	#5,257
2019	15	#7,563
2018	25	#5,259
2017	16	#7,284
2016	17	#7,094
2015	13	#8,730
2014	10	#10,604
2013	9	#11,559
2012	11	#10,129
2011	9	#11,760
2010	12	#9,560
2009	11	#10,372
2008	5	#19,274
2007	12	#9,915
2006	8	#13,084
2005	–	–
2004	–	–
2003	5	#17,267
2002	–	–
2001	–	–
2000	–	–
1995	6	#12,671
1990	–	–
1985	–	–
1980	–	–
1975	–	–
1970	–	–
1965	–	–
1960	–	–
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Lilac, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Lilac?

The median living Lilac is about 6 years old. Half of all living Lilacs are between 2 and 12 years old.

How many people named Lilac are alive today?

An estimated 400 people named Lilac are alive in the United States, based on 371 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Lilac in 2025?

Lilac ranked #4,131 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 35 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Lilac?

371 babies have been named Lilac in the United States since 1979, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Lilac most popular?

Lilac peaked in 2024, when 44 newborns received the name.

Is Lilac a boy or girl name?

Lilac is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Lilac rising or falling?

Lilac is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Lilac become more popular?

Lilac is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 48 girls named Lilac in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Lilac

Names that sound and feel close to Lilac: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Lilac with similar names → More names starting with L →