A 1910s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Lile since 1916
Babies named Lile per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2020, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Lile's real moment was 1916.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 7 | 8 |
| 1920s | 17 | 18 |
| 1930s | 11 | 5 |
| 1940s | 16 | 0 |
| 1950s | 0 | 0 |
| 1960s | 0 | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 | 0 |
| 2000s | 5 | 0 |
| 2010s | 10 | 0 |
| 2020s | 24 | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Lile is an exceedingly rare name in the United States. It first appeared on record in 1916, when it also reached its peak rank of #13,208. After decades of near-invisibility, the name has seen a resurgence since 2017, consistent with a revival of short, vintage-sounding names. In 2025, about 1 in every 267,878 babies received the name. Because it has never been common, no single state has recorded a notable concentration of Liles. The name's etymology is open to interpretation: it may be a creative respelling of Lila or Lily, or a diminutive of Lillian. Its rise may reflect a broader trend toward soft, two-syllable girl names ending in 'e' or 'y'.
Lile appears to be a modern English coinage, likely derived as a diminutive or variant of names such as Lila (from Arabic 'laylah', meaning "night") or Lily (from the flower name). It may also be a short form of Lillian, itself derived from Elizabeth. Its usage as a given name in the United States dates to at least 1916, but it remained extremely rare until a modest uptick in the 2010s.
“Lile” around the world
Where Lile lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
Ireland
6
babies in 2025
Sources: CSO Ireland (Ireland).
Sibling names for Lile
Names that share Lile's style, for a brother or sister.
