Ada vs Lily
Ada and Lilycompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ada was ranked #45 and Lily #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ada was ranked #40 and Lily #3 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ada was ranked #44 and Lily #4 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ada was ranked #47 and Lily #6 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Ada was ranked #78 and Lily #7 among girls in New Zealand.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Ada was ranked #18 and Lily #123 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2011, Ada was ranked #3830 and Lily #4647 among boys in England and Wales.
Ada and Lily over time
Ada and Lily appear together in 4 published lists, across 91 years of shared records. Lily held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Ada in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 of the lists they share.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Ada #34 in 2023, Lily #1 in 2025.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ada held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Lily in 29.
Highest recorded here: Ada #36 in 2022, Lily #3 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ada #40, Lily #3.
Norway · Girls26 shared years, 1994–2025
Ada held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Lily in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ada #6 in 2019, Lily #90 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ada #18, Lily #123.
Republic of Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 2001–2025
Ada held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Lily in 25.
Highest recorded here: Ada #34 in 2023, Lily #1 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ada #45, Lily #1.
Northern Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 2013–2024
Ada held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Lily in 11.
Highest recorded here: Ada #35 in 2023, Lily #6 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ada #47, Lily #6.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Ada | Lily |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A short form of Germanic names beginning with 'adal' meaning 'noble', such as Adelaide or Adelina. Notably borne by Ada Lovelace, who assisted Charles Babbage with early computer development. | From the English word for the lily flower. |
| Origin | Germanic | English (flower name) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪ.də/ | /ˈlɪli/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Lil, Lilah, Lillie, Lilly, Lilian |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #18 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #1 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Ada is recorded with a Germanic origin, while Lily is recorded with a English (flower name) origin.
- Ada and Lily both have 2 syllables.
- Ada's recorded meaning differs from Lily's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Ada a "medium" Data Confidence level and Lily a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Ada
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #229 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among girls in Norway, in 2019 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #18 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Lily
Popularity journey
First recorded1981
First recorded at #471 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1981 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1981–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025 (recorded 1981–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #9 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls