Lilian is a one-l spelling of Lillian, which arose in English as a pet form of Elizabeth and is now understood as a form of the flower name Lily, so it means "lily", a symbol of purity. This spelling is the usual one in France and Spain, which gives it a slightly more European look than Lillian. In the United States Lilian ranked number 709 in 2000, peaked at number 417 in 2007 and stands at number 560 among girls' names in 2025.