Scottish form of Lillian, ultimately from Latin lilium meaning 'lily,' a symbol of purity.
Lilias is the distinctly Scottish form of Lillian or Lily, carrying with it the misty character of Scots Gaelic-inflected English. The lily itself — from the Latin 'lilium,' which traces to Greek and possibly to Egyptian or Hebrew roots — has been a symbol of purity, royalty, and resurrection across Mediterranean and northern European cultures for millennia. The flower adorned the coats of arms of French kings (fleur-de-lis) and was associated with the Virgin Mary throughout medieval Christian iconography.
Lilias takes that ancient botanical symbolism and wraps it in Scottish tartans. The name appears in Scottish historical records from at least the sixteenth century, and it was borne by several notable Scottish women across the centuries. Lilias Skene was a seventeenth-century Quaker poet and religious activist in Aberdeen.
In the arts, Lilias Newton became one of Canada's finest portrait painters of the early twentieth century, trained in Paris and celebrated for her ability to capture psychological depth — her work hangs in the National Gallery of Canada. The name also appears in Scottish Gothic and Romantic literature as an occasional character name, lending it a slight air of highland mystery. In contemporary usage, Lilias occupies a sweet spot between the very popular Lily and the more adventurous Lilith — it has the flower's freshness without trendiness, and a gentle antique quality that wears beautifully. It is especially favored by families with Scottish ancestry who want a name that honors that heritage while remaining genuinely lovely on its own terms.