{{Infobox Given Name Revised | name = Lilibet | image= Princess Elizabeth on TIME Magazine, April 29, 1929.jpg | imagesize= | caption= Queen Elizabeth II, pictured at the age of three on the 29 April 1929 edition of the American news magazine ''Time''. Her nickname was spelled Lilybet on the magazine cover. | pronunciation= {{IPAc-en|lang|l|ɪ|l|iː|b|ɛ|t}} or {{IPAc-en|lang|l|ɪ|l|ə|b|ɛ|t}} | gender = female | meaning = Diminutive of Elizabeth; modern Scandinavian combination of name elements Lili and Bet | region = | nickname = | origin = Hebrew, Scandinavian | related names = Lillibet, Lilibeth, Lillybeth, Lilybet, Lilybeth | footnotes = }}[[File:Rockabye lobby card.jpg|right|thumb|Constance Bennett portrayed Judy Carroll and June Filmer portrayed her would-be adoptive daughter Lilybet in the popular 1932 American film drama ''Rockabye''.]]
'''Lilibet''' or '''Lillibet''' is a feminine given name, often a nickname for the given name Elizabeth. It was the childhood nickname of Queen Elizabeth II, who called herself "Lilibet" when she was a toddler because she had difficulty pronouncing her full name. Her great-granddaughter Princess Lilibet of Sussex was named in her honor.<ref> {{cite news | last = Roberts | first = Kayleigh | title = How Queen Elizabeth II Got the Nickname "Lilibet" as a Child | work = Marie Claire | date = 7 June 2021 | url = https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/a36641954/queen-elizabeth-nickname-lilibet-origin/ | access-date = 7 June 2022 }} </ref><ref> {{cite news | last = Williams | first = Zoe | title = Lilibet Diana: the baby name that represents a royal rift – and audacious hope | work = The Guardian | date = 9 June 2021 | url = https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jun/09/lilibet-diana-baby-name-royal-rift-audacious-hope | access-date = 7 June 2022 }} </ref><ref> {{cite news | last = Hartog | first = Kelly | title = Meghan and Harry's baby name Lilibet, Queen Elizabeth's nickname, is at best tone deaf | work = NBC News | date = 9 June 2021 | url = https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/meghan-harry-s-baby-name-lilibet-queen-elizabeth-s-nickname-ncna1269887 | access-date = 7 June 2022 }} </ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/12/style/lilibet-popular-baby-names.html | title = Lilith, Lilibet … Lucifer? How Baby Names Went to 'L': Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are hardly the only new parents gravitating toward quirk, family tradition and 'L' names. | last = Williams | first = Alex | date = 12 June 2021 | website = New York Times | access-date = 7 June 2022 | quote = }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://appellationmountain.net/baby-name-lilibet-casual-charmer/ | title = Baby Name Lilibet: Casual Charmer | last =Sandel | first = Abby | date = 6 June 2021 | website = appellation.net | access-date = 7 June 2022 | quote = }} </ref> The name has also been spelled '''Lilybet''' in some sources.<ref>{{cite magazine |last= |first= |date=8 September 2015 |title=See Every TIME Cover Featuring Queen Elizabeth II: Then-Princess "Lilybet" on the April 29, 1929, cover of TIME |url=https://time.com/4020008/queen-elizabeth-ii-time-covers/ |access-date=8 June 2022 |magazine=Time |quote=}}</ref> It is alternatively described as a modern combination of the name elements Lili or Lily and Bet or Beth, all of which can also be derivations of Elizabeth.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/Lilibet | title=Lilibet - Nordic Names }}</ref> Lilli is a Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish diminutive of Elisabet, a usual version of Elizabeth throughout Scandinavia, and is also a Scandinavian diminutive of other names containing the element ''li'' such as Cecilia, Emilia, Julie, Karolina, and Olivia.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/Lilli | title=Lilli - Nordic Names }}</ref>
==Usage== The name has been in rare, occasional use worldwide. According to one report, there were 141 women named Lilibet in the United States prior to 2021, including eight American women who were born in 1999.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/how-many-lilibets-are-there-in-the-world/ | title=How many Lilibets are there in the world? | date=10 June 2021 }}</ref>
It was widely known since 1929 that Lilibet was the pet name of Queen Elizabeth II.<ref>{{cite magazine |last= |first= |date=8 September 2015 |title=See Every TIME Cover Featuring Queen Elizabeth II: Then-Princess "Lilybet" on the April 29, 1929, cover of TIME |url=https://time.com/4020008/queen-elizabeth-ii-time-covers/ |access-date=8 June 2022 |magazine=Time |quote=}}</ref> The spelling Lilybet was used for the nickname of a child character named Elizabeth in the popular 1932 American film ''Rockabye''.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://pre-code.com/rockabye-1932-review-with-constance-bennett-and-joel-mccrea/ | title=Rockabye (1932) Review, with Constance Bennett and Joel McCrea | date=26 January 2017 }}</ref> American director Lilibet Foster, born in 1965, was named in honor of Queen Elizabeth II.<ref> {{cite web | url = https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/royals/lilibet-foster-reveals-issues-with-the-name-chosen-for-meghan-markle-and-prince-harrys-baby/news-story/ff8410d3389dcd02b8ad1f2669308aa2 | title = Lilibet Foster reveals issues with the name chosen for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s baby | last = Mastroianni | first =Bianca | date = 9 June 2021 | website = news.com.au | publisher = news.com.au | access-date = 24 March 2025 | quote = }} </ref> Additional attention to the name also came from the 1960 children's photographic picture book ''Lilibet, Circus Child'', by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren and photographer Anna Riwkin-Brick. The children's book tells the story of a young girl named Lilibet who lives and plays in a traveling circus and wants to become a circus equestrienne. The book was translated into other languages and published in other countries during the 1960s.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.vintagechildrensbooksmykidloves.com/2011/05/lilibet-circus-child.html | title=Lilibet Circus Child }}</ref>
Usage of the name increased in the United States following the birth of the Queen’s great-granddaughter in 2021. Fewer than five American girls were given the name in 2020. Twelve American girls, including Princess Lilibet, were given the name in 2021.<ref> {{cite web | url = https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/limits.html | title = Beyond the Top 1000 names | last = | first = | date = 6 May 2022 | website = ssa.gov | publisher = United States Social Security Administration | access-date = 7 June 2022 | quote = }} </ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://nameberry.com/babyname/lilibet | title = Lilibet | last = | first = | date = | website = Nameberry.com | access-date = 7 June 2022 | quote = }}</ref> The name increased in usage again the following year, in 2022, when twenty-five newborn American girls received the name.<ref> {{cite web | url = https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/limits.html | title = Beyond the Top 1000 names | last = | first = | date = 12 May 2023 | website = ssa.gov | publisher = United States Social Security Administration | access-date = 12 May 2023 | quote = }}</ref> Forty-one American girls were named Lilibet in 2023; 27 newborn American girls were given the name in 2024; 47 newborn American girls were given the name in 2025.<ref> {{cite web | url = https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/limits.html | title = Beyond the Top 1000 names | last = | first = | date = 10 May 2024 | website = ssa.gov | publisher = United States Social Security Administration | access-date = 10 May 2024 | quote = }}</ref>
Usage of the similar name Lilibeth also increased significantly in the United States, from 13 uses in 2020 to a peak of 69 uses for American girls in 2022. Some American parents apparently wanted to avoid imitating the royal family but still liked the name and used Lilibeth as a compromise.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://nameberry.com/b/girl-baby-name-lilibeth | title=Lilibeth - Baby Name Meaning, Origin, and Popularity }}</ref> Spelling variants Lilybeth and Lillybeth also increased in use from 2020 to 2023 in the United States.<ref> {{cite web | url = https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/limits.html | title = Beyond the Top 1000 names | last = | first = | date = 6 May 2022 | website = ssa.gov | publisher = United States Social Security Administration | access-date = 6 December 2024 | quote = }}</ref>
Use of the name Lilibet has also increased in the United Kingdom. Fewer than three newborn girls were given the name in the United Kingdom in previous years, but the name was used for eight newborn girls in England and Wales in 2021 after the birth of Princess Lilibet.<ref> {{cite web | url = https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/articles/fromstarwarstothekardashianstheculturalinfluencesthatcouldbedrivingbabynametrends/2022-10-05 | title = From Star Wars to the Kardashians: the cultural influences that could be driving baby name trends: We explore the popular culture-inspired baby names that have found favour with parents in recent years | last = | first = | date = 5 October 2022 | website = ons.gov.uk | publisher = Office for National Statistics | access-date = 8 October 2022 | quote = }}</ref> There were 29 girls born in 2022 in England and Wales who were named Lilibet. Another 33 girls born in England and Wales in 2023 were named Lilibet.<ref> {{cite web | url = https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/bulletins/babynamesenglandandwales/2023 | title = Baby Names in England and Wales: 2023 | last = | first = | date = 5 December 2024 | website = ons.gov.uk | publisher = Office for National Statistics | access-date = 5 December 2024 | quote = }}</ref> No girls born in Scotland were given the name in 2021, but one girl was named Lilibet in Scotland in 2022 and two Scottish girls were given the name Lilibet in 2023.<ref>https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/vital-events/names/babies-first-names/babies-first-names-2023</ref> However, the name remains rare throughout the English-speaking world.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/128873241/as-baby-lilibet-turns-one-has-popularity-of-the-name-surged | title = As baby Lilibet turns one, has popularity of the name surged? | last = Jack | first = Amberleigh | date = 6 June 2022 | website = stuff.co.nz | access-date = 7 June 2022 | quote = }}</ref> The name is also used elsewhere. Both Lilibet and variant Lillibeth have been in occasional use for girls in Sweden, Finland, and Denmark.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/Lilibet | title=Lilibet - Nordic Names }}</ref> Two newborn girls were named Lilibet in Poland in 2022.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://dane.gov.pl/pl/dataset/219,imiona-nadawane-dzieciom-w-polsce | title = Imiona nadawane dzieciom w Polsce | last = | first = | date = 3 February 2023 | website = dane.gov.pl | access-date = 18 May 2023 | quote = }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.nancy.cc/ | title = Popular baby names in Poland, 2022 | last = Man | first = Nancy | date = 18 May 2023 | website = Nancy’s Baby Names (blog) | access-date = 18 May 2023 | quote = }}</ref>
Increased usage of the name and its variants coincided with publicity about the British royal family. An official photograph of Princess Lilibet was released to the media to celebrate her first birthday in June of 2022.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://people.com/royals/meghan-markle-prince-harry-lilibet-birthday-photo/ | title=Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Share Candid First Birthday Photo of Lilibet — and Her Red Hair! }}</ref> The child and her family were also featured in the Netflix documentary ''Harry & Meghan'' released in December of 2022, which was the most watched premiere for a Netflix show in the United Kingdom in 2022.<ref name="Hailu">{{Cite web |last=Hailu |first=Selome |date=December 13, 2022 |title='Wednesday' Surpasses 'Dahmer' on All-Time Netflix Ranking, 'Harry & Meghan' Is Streamer's Biggest Doc Debut Ever |url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/wednesday-netflix-viewership-harry-meghan-1235458467/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213200109/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/wednesday-netflix-viewership-harry-meghan-1235458467/ |archive-date=December 13, 2022 |access-date=December 6, 2024 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> Queen Elizabeth II died on 8 September 2022.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-61585886 | title=Queen Elizabeth II has died | date=8 September 2022 }}</ref> ==Notable people== * Elizabeth II (1926–2022), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms (nicknamed "Lilibet" by family) * Lilibet Foster (born 1965), American director, producer and writer * Princess Lilibet of Sussex (born 2021), granddaughter of King Charles III * Zheng Haohao (born 2012), Chinese skateboarder and Olympian whose English nickname is Lilibet ==Fictional characters== *Lilibet, the name used for the central character of the 1960 children's book ''Lilibet, Circus Child'' by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren and photographer Anna Riwkin-Brick. *Lilybet, a child character played by June Filmer in the 1932 American film ''Rockabye''
==See also== * Lilibeth, a similar name or nickname
==References== {{reflist}}
{{given name}} Category:Compound given names Category:Feminine given names Category:Feminine hypocorisms