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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Is Lily too popular?

65 replies

AnnaSparks · 08/03/2019 15:36

I love the name Lily. Is it too popular? I’m worried that when she goes to school there might be 4 in each class.
Any suggestions welcome!

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SallyWD · 08/03/2019 17:42

I work in a school of about 300 pupils and they are 2 Lilys

daisypond · 08/03/2019 16:24

It's not on the increase. It increased steadily in popularity from the late 1990s to its peak in 2011, and from then it's declined. The peak number is children born in that year, so they'll now be aged about eight.

4free · 08/03/2019 16:10

I have a teenage dd named lily, was quite rare back then. Went to a baby group with my 9 month dd today and there was 2 babies there named lily, so seems to be on the increase....it is a lovely name tho 😊

mama1980 · 08/03/2019 15:59

I know so many Lily's so yes for me it would be too popular. I know 8 there's 5 in my sons dance class alone.
How about Lillian or Lila?

Thesnobbymiddleclassone · 08/03/2019 15:59

My eldest is Lily. She's the only one in her year group and we've not really met that many more.

Out of the ones we have met, she's the only one who spells it Lily. The rest spell it as either Lilly or Lillie which I personally hate!

Peachbubble · 08/03/2019 15:57

I know quite a few young girls called Lily (4, 5, 6 year olds), so still quite popular. I wouldn't say it's chavvy or downmarket though.

Cbeebiesrehab · 08/03/2019 15:57

I do know three babies called Lily as well as a Lilian and a Lilia. However I would never describe it as chavvy and downmarket.

NuffSaidSam · 08/03/2019 15:53

I don't think it's as popular as it was. Probably depends on area as well. I haven't met a baby Lily for ages. I know several Violet's and a Daisy.

HalfBloodPrincess · 08/03/2019 15:53

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RedRiverHog · 08/03/2019 15:52

I know 4 Lily's/Lilly's but all of them are dogs!

HalfBloodPrincess · 08/03/2019 15:51

I go to lots of baby and toddler groups and am yet to meet a lily in the past 2 years.

Saffrona · 08/03/2019 15:49

I do love the name Lily. A lot. But unfortunately it has become quite chavvy now. So even as much as I would love to use it myself (or any other derivative eg. Lillian which will most inevitably be shortened to Lily) I won’t use it because in my area it’s become very downmarket.
Very sad about it, because it’s gorgeous.

KingHenrysCodpiece · 08/03/2019 15:46

My grandmother was a Lillian. Consider?

daisypond · 08/03/2019 15:43

Lily is on the decline from its peak popularity in about 2011. In 2017 0.35% of babies in England and Wales were called Lily. It's a nice name, but the Lilys I know were born in the late 1990s, before it was very popular, so it might seem a little dated to some people.

Susannach · 08/03/2019 15:41

Yes. How about another flower name like Daisy, Violet or Primrose, or another cute vintage name like Polly, Nancy or Lucy?