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Alternatives to Lily

  1. Lula
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of any Lu name
    • Description:

      Lula is one of the livelier nickname-names with the fashionable double-L sound: It joins Lulu, Lila, Lily, and Lou among the trendiest names today. Lula might be short for Talula and sisters or for Lucy or Louise, or may stand on its own two adorable feet. Lula was actually a Top 50 name in the late 1880's and continued in the Top 100 for a couple of decades more.
  2. Gracie
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Grace
    • Description:

      Cute Gracie is one of the more recently revived nickname names by parents who chose it over the more formal Grace--or variations like Graziella or Grania. Country singers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw cut straight to the nickname when they called one of their daughters Gracie, and actors Ron Livingston and Rosemarie DeWitt named their newborn daughter Gracie James. Gracie Gold is a popular young figure skater.
  3. Susanna
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "lily"
    • Description:

      Susanna is an old and under-appreciated name, perhaps because of the recent overpopularity of Susan, that is certainly due for a comeback.
  4. Kitty
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Katherine
    • Meaning:

      "pure"
    • Description:

      This endearing nickname name is one Katherine pet form that predates all the Kathys and Katies, having been fairly common in the eighteenth century. With the current mini-craze for animal-related names, Kitty is sounding cute and cuddly again—she's already jumped back onto the U.K. list, at number 199.
  5. Susannah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "lily"
    • Description:

      Susannah is by far the most stylish form of the classic name now that Susan and Suzanne have retired. Susannah has biblical and musical pedigrees, is impervious to trends, and has an irresistible, flowing rhythm. It can be spelled just as properly with or without the final 'h.'
  6. Lark
    • Origin:

      English bird name
    • Description:

      Lark is getting some new and well-deserved attention as a post-Robin and Raven bird name. Although it was first recorded as a name in the 1830's, it has never appeared on the Social Security list.
  7. Posie
    • Origin:

      Variation of Posy or short form of Mariposa, English or Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "a bunch of flowers or butterfly"
    • Description:

      Posie and its near-identical twins Posy and Posey are delicate old-fashioned flower names of the type that are stylish today: Think Poppy, Marigold, Clover.
  8. Lilou
    • Origin:

      Occitan pet form of French Liliane, or French compound of Lili and Louise
    • Meaning:

      "lily; lily + renowned warrior"
    • Description:

      Sweet, enchanting Lilou is considered both a pet name from the Occitan language (spoken in Provence in the south of France), and a compound name, blending floral Lili with classic Louise. It peaked in France back in 2009 when it reached #12, and while it has now fallen in popularity, it remains in the Top 200.
  9. Zelie
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "noble"
    • Description:

      A cute, zippy French saint's name that's picking up in popularity there, and starting to in the US as well. Zélie originated as a short form of Azélie, thought to derive from Adelaide via the Occitan form Azalaïs. Saint Zélie was born Marie-Azélie.
  10. Lilac
    • Origin:

      English, from Persian
    • Meaning:

      "bluish or lilac"
    • Description:

      Could Lilac be the next Lila or Lily or Violet? It certainly has a lot going for it--those lilting double 'l's, the fabulous fragrance it exudes, and the fact that it's a color name as well, providing a ready made nursery theme. In addition, the lilac is symbolic of first love.
  11. Janie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Jane, English
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      Will this old-fashioned nickname make a comeback, now that Jane has shed her "plain" image? Janie is cute and approachable, and would stand as well on the birth certificate as Josie and Jessie do now.
  12. Libby
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Elizabeth
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      Through all the years when Betty, Betsy, Beth, Liz, and Lizzie were the Elizabethan nicknames of choice, the bubblier Libby was set aside, but today it may be the most modern of all—it has already made a strong comeback in England and Wales, where it ranks Number 139.
  13. Junie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of June
    • Description:

      A cute nickname, but June is a much better bet for the birth certificate.
  14. Posy
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "a bunch of flowers"
    • Description:

      A sweet, nostalgic nosegay kind of name, Posy has been long fashionable in England, a country of gardeners, but this pretty bouquet-of-flowers name is still rarely heard in the US, though it could be seen as a more unusual possible alternative to Rosy or Josie.
  15. Izzy
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Isabel and Isabella
    • Description:

      The longer Isabella stays in the Top 10—and it's been there for more than a decade—the more we hear the nickname Izzy (especially if we watch Grey's Anatomy). it's just a matter of time before it stands on its own, as it has as a first name for the daughter of Eddie Murphy and Paige Butcher.
  16. Lizzie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      Lizzie was commonly used as an independent name in the last half of the nineteenth century. Today Lizzie is still one of the most stylish short forms of Elizabeth, but few U.S. parents put it on the birth certificate.
  17. Milly
    • Origin:

      Variation of Millie, English diminutive of Mildred or Millicent
    • Meaning:

      "gentle strength; strong in work"
    • Description:

      Milly and her more popular sister Millie are adorable Old Lady nickname-names springing back to life. Nearly 100 baby girls were named Milly, just Milly, last year, and Millie is in the US Top 500. Milly is the Molly of the new generation.
  18. Galilea
    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Galileo, after "Galilee"
    • Meaning:

      "Galilee"
    • Description:

      Like the masculine form Galileo, Galilea is a variant of Galilee, a region in Northern Israel of great Biblical significance. Given the current popularity of soft Italian girls’ names, this name’s long historical roots, its beautiful sound and the potential for cute nicknames (Leia, Lil, Ally, etc) it’s no surprise that this name has been on the rise in recent years.
  19. Lilla
    • Origin:

      Hungarian diminutive of Lívia and Lídia, Hindi variant of Lila, Italian, Swedish, and Danish word name
    • Meaning:

      "to envy; from Lydia; lilac; little; purple"
    • Description:

      This sweet and underused name is a multicultural choice with a surprising number of meanings. It is used as a diminutive of Lívia and Lídia in Hungary (meaning "envy" and "from Lydia" respectively), as a variation of the Arabic Lila in Hindi (meaning "night"), and as a variant of Lillian, Lillia, and Lily in English, associating it with the flower.
  20. Lilo
    • Origin:

      German, diminutive of Liselotte; Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "generous one"
    • Description:

      Lilo is the name of the spunky little Hawaiian girl character in the Disney movie Lilo & Stitch-- and is also Lindsay Lohan's nickname. Multi-cultural, it can be found in Hawaiian, German and Hebrew nomenclature.

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