Namewise

Annie vs Lily

Annie 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, Annie was ranked #33 and Lily #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Annie was ranked #115 and Lily #3 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Annie was ranked #87 and Lily #4 among girls in Scotland.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Annie was ranked #11 and Lily #6 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2025, Annie was ranked #214 and Lily #123 among girls in Norway.

Annie and Lily over time

Annie and Lily appear together in 4 published lists, across 117 years of shared records. Lily held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Annie in 0.

The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Lily reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Annie in 1. 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 2006, Lily moved ahead of Annie in Northern Ireland · Girls — #92 and #114 the year before became #61 and #52.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 26 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Annie and Lily averaged 36.0 places apart, ending at #11 and #6.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Annie and Lily were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 36 years, from 1981 to 2025, ending at #33 and #1.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Annie #33 in 2025, Lily #1 in 2025.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls36 shared years, 1981–2025

    Annie held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Lily in 26.

    Highest recorded here: Annie #33 in 2025, Lily #1 in 2025.

    The order changed in 2000: Lily moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #149 and #185; by 2000 that had become #165 and #120.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Annie #33, Lily #1.

  • England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024

    Annie held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Lily in 29.

    Highest recorded here: Annie #108 in 2016, Lily #3 in 2011.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Annie #115, Lily #3.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1999–2024

    Annie held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Lily in 21.

    Highest recorded here: Annie #8 in 2022, Lily #5 in 2011.

    The order changed in 2006: Lily moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #92 and #114; by 2006 that had become #61 and #52.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Annie #11, Lily #6.

  • Norway · Girls26 shared years, 1994–2025

    Annie held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Lily in 21.

    Highest recorded here: Annie #174 in 2021, Lily #90 in 2024.

    The order changed in 2006: Lily moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #399 and #555; by 2006 that had become #326 and #290.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Annie #214, 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.

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 Annie

Pairs where Annie 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 Republic of Ireland lists

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

Republic of Ireland 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 Annie, Lily
FieldAnnieLily
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningA diminutive of Anne, itself from the Hebrew root 'hanan' ('grace, favour') via Latin Anna.From the English word for the lily flower.
OriginA diminutive of Anne, tracing to the Hebrew root 'hanan' via Latin AnnaEnglish (flower name)
Pronunciation/ˈæn.i//ˈlɪli/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedLil, Lilah, Lillie, Lilly, Lilian
Recorded regional usageGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NOAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #33 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #1 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediumhigh

What the data shows

  • Annie is recorded with a A diminutive of Anne, tracing to the Hebrew root 'hanan' via Latin Anna origin, while Lily is recorded with a English (flower name) origin.
  • Annie and Lily both have 2 syllables.
  • Annie'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.
  • The available evidence gives Annie 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

Annie

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #180 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1997–2024

    Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 1997–2024).

    Northern Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #214 among girls in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · 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