Lilly
A surname most often linked to the lily flower or to places named Lilley/Lilly in England.
The #1,580 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 13,624 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Lilly is usually explained as a locational surname from places called Lilley or Lilly, especially Lilley in Hertfordshire and a hamlet called Lilly in Berkshire. Some older writers also connected it with the French place-name Lille or with the heraldic fleur-de-lis, while others treated it as a surname from the lily flower itself. The deeper root behind the flower-name is Latin lilium, meaning “lily.”
History
Medieval records show early forms such as Nicholas de Lylie/Lilie, which fits the English place-name explanation well. The spelling varied widely over time, including Lily, Lillie, and Lilly. The surname also appears in Scotland and in English-speaking countries more broadly, often as a variant spelling rather than a separate origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname dictionaries sometimes grouped Lilly with a whole family of flower- and plant-based surnames, but the place-name explanation is often considered stronger for many bearers.
From the historical record
“same as Lisle. LILLY. LILLE Y. LILLIE. 1. Perhaps the same as Lille or Lisle. 2. From the heraldric bearing, the fleur-de- lys. See Lys. 3. Lilley, a parish in Hert- fordshire. LILLYLOW. A Scottish phr.ase mean- ing ' bright flame.' It is not very easy to guess how it became a surname. LILY. See Lilly.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom