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 2025, Amelia was ranked #3 and Lily #2 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 6 published lists, across 173 years of shared records. Amelia held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Lily in 2.
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 4 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 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2025, ending at #3 and #2.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Amelia and Lily averaged 6.5 places apart, ending at #3 and #2.
- Longest-running competitions
Amelia and Lily were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #3 and #2.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Amelia #4 in 2012, Lily #5 in 2011.
List by list
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.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Amelia held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Lily in 7.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #1 in 2011, Lily #2 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Amelia #3, Lily #2.
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.
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 | Amelia | Lily |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'work' or 'industrious', with usage strongly influenced by the separate Roman name Aemilia. | From the English word for the lily flower. |
| Origin | Latin (influence) | English (flower name) |
| Pronunciation | /əˈmiːliə/ | /ˈlɪli/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Amelie, Amalia, Amy, Mia | Lil, Lilah, Lillie, Lilly, Lilian |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | United Kingdom #1 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #1 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
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
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
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · 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 #2 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls