From the lily flower, a symbol of purity; from Latin 'lilium'.
Lilly is a variant of Lily, the flower name drawn from the elegant bloom long associated with purity, beauty, and renewal. The word ultimately reaches English through Latin lilium, itself from Greek leirion, and the flower has deep symbolic history in Christian, classical, and artistic traditions. White lilies became especially associated with the Virgin Mary in European religious art, making the name resonate with innocence and grace.
As a personal name, Lily and its spelling relatives emerged both from the flower itself and from their use as affectionate forms of names such as Elizabeth, Lillian, and Lilian. The spelling Lilly has its own story. While Lily is now usually the standard floral form, Lilly persisted as a surname, a family spelling, and a given-name variant, giving it a slightly more tailored or personalized appearance.
Over time, the name shifted from delicate Victorian flower-name territory into a broadly loved modern classic. It has appeared across literature and popular culture in many forms, often signaling brightness, femininity, or warmth. Because the lily flower carries meanings in weddings, funerary art, heraldry, and devotional painting, the name holds more symbolic depth than its light sound might suggest.
Today Lilly feels friendly and luminous, balancing softness with familiarity. It remains one of those rare floral names that can seem both sweetly domestic and richly storied, rooted as much in centuries of symbolism as in modern charm.