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Home › Baby Names Directory › Lilac

Lilac

♀ Girl

Pronounced LY-lak /ˈlaɪ.læk/High

Meaning: The fragrant spring shrub and its pale purple color; from Persian nilak via Arabic and French, 'bluish'High

In 30 seconds: Spring's most fragrant fortnight, made a name: Lilac is the purple flowering shrub whose scent means May. A bold bloom-name with Persian roots and a color built in.
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Origin HighPersian, English
MeaningThe fragrant spring shrub and its pale purple color; from Persian nilak via Arabic and French, 'bluish'
U.S. rank (2025)#4131 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births35 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2024
Total births (all-time)≈ 370

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202419792025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Lilac names the spring shrub and its pale-purple hue — Persian nilak, 'bluish', from nil, 'indigo', through Arabic and French. As a given name it belongs to the bolder flower-name wave with Marigold and Clover, prized for fragrance and color alike.

It registers thinly and recently for girls. Rare, fragrant, and purple-rooted, with Lila waiting inside.

Did you know? Lilac comes from Persian nilak, 'bluish' — the same root as 'indigo' — traveling through Arabic and French before naming the flower whose color it describes.
Overall data confidence 90%
Oxford English Dictionary — lilac — word etymology

Variations

LilachLylac

Nicknames

LilaLily

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Lilac…

Lila— the short form hiding inside
Violet— a fellow purple flower-name
Marigold— the companion bold bloom name
Iris— another purple-toned flower favorite

Explore names like Lilac

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Lilac mean?

Lilac is the fragrant spring shrub and its pale purple color, from Persian nilak, 'bluish'.

How do you pronounce Lilac?

It's said LY-lak /ˈlaɪ.læk/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Lilac a boy or girl name?

Lilac is a girl's name.

How popular is Lilac?

Lilac is a rare flower-name in the U.S.

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