Namewise

Amelia vs Lily

Amelia 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, Amelia was ranked #12 and Lily #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Amelia was ranked #2 and Lily #3 among girls in England and Wales.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 2025, Amelia was ranked #2 and Lily #9 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 2023, Amelia was ranked #2 and Lily #7 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Amelia was ranked #7 and Lily #4 among girls in Scotland.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Amelia was ranked #14 and Lily #6 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2025, Amelia was ranked #39 and Lily #123 among girls in Norway.

Amelia and Lily over time

Amelia and Lily appear together in 7 published lists, across 214 years of shared records. Amelia held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Lily in 3.

The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Amelia reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Lily in 2. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.

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.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 2021, Lily moved ahead of Amelia in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #6 and #12 the year before became #11 and #9.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Amelia and Lily changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #2 and #3.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 47 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Amelia and Lily averaged 4.9 places apart, ending at #2 and #3.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Amelia and Lily were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 47 years, from 1996 to 2024, ending at #2 and #3.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Amelia #1 in 2011, Lily #3 in 2011.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Girls47 shared years, 1996–2024

    Amelia held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Lily in 6.

    Highest recorded here: Amelia #1 in 2011, Lily #3 in 2011.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Amelia #2, Lily #3.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls35 shared years, 1988–2025

    Amelia held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Lily in 21.

    Highest recorded here: Amelia #3 in 2017, Lily #1 in 2025.

    The order changed in 2021: Lily moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #6 and #12; by 2021 that had become #11 and #9.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Amelia #12, Lily #1.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls29 shared years, 1997–2025

    Amelia held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Lily in 10.

    Highest recorded here: Amelia #1 in 2020, Lily #7 in 2010.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Amelia #2, Lily #9.

  • New Zealand · Girls27 shared years, 1997–2023

    Amelia held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Lily in 13.

    Highest recorded here: Amelia #1 in 2019, Lily #5 in 2022.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Amelia #2, Lily #7.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1999–2024

    Amelia held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Lily in 14.

    Highest recorded here: Amelia #4 in 2012, Lily #5 in 2011.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Amelia #14, Lily #6.

  • Norway · Girls26 shared years, 1994–2025

    Amelia held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Lily in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Amelia #32 in 2019, Lily #90 in 2024.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Amelia #39, Lily #123.

  • Scotland · Girls24 shared years, 2024–2024

    Amelia held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Lily in 24.

    Highest recorded here: Amelia #7 in 2024, Lily #4 in 2024.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Amelia #7, Lily #4.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Amelia

Pairs where Amelia shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Lily

Pairs where Lily shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — peaked in the same years.

All peaked in the same years→

Other pairs from England and Wales lists

Pairs measured inside England and Wales's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

England and Wales overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Amelia, Lily
FieldAmeliaLily
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningCommonly interpreted as 'work' or 'industrious', with usage strongly influenced by the separate Roman name Aemilia.From the English word for the lily flower.
OriginLatin (influence)English (flower name)
Pronunciation/əˈmiːliə//ˈlɪli/
Syllables32
Common variants / nicknamesAmelie, Amalia, Amy, MiaLil, Lilah, Lillie, Lilly, Lilian
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationUnited Kingdom #1 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #1 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencehighhigh

What the data shows

  • Amelia is recorded with a Latin (influence) origin, while Lily is recorded with a English (flower name) origin.
  • Amelia has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Lily.
  • Amelia's recorded meaning differs from Lily's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.

How each name got here

Amelia

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1964

    First recorded at #300 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1996–2024

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2024).

    England and Wales · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

Lily

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1981–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025 (recorded 1981–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #9 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls