Ava vs Lily
Ava 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, Ava was ranked #26 and Lily #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #9 and Lily #3 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #11 and Lily #4 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #32 and Lily #6 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Ava was ranked #8 and Lily #7 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #18 and Lily #9 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #143 and Lily #123 among girls in Norway.
Ava and Lily over time
Ava and Lily appear together in 6 published lists, across 157 years of shared records. Lily held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Ava in 2.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 3 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ava and Lily changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 2003 and 2025, ending at #18 and #9.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 23 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Ava and Lily averaged 13.0 places apart, ending at #18 and #9.
- Longest-running competitions
Ava and Lily were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 36 years, from 1981 to 2025, ending at #26 and #1.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls36 shared years, 1981–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Lily in 8.
Highest recorded here: Ava #1 in 2008, Lily #1 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #26, Lily #1.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Lily in 19.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2018, Lily #3 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #9, Lily #3.
Northern Ireland · Girls24 shared years, 2001–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Lily in 18.
Highest recorded here: Ava #9 in 2016, Lily #5 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #32, Lily #6.
Norway · Girls24 shared years, 2001–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Lily in 15.
Highest recorded here: Ava #104 in 2020, Lily #90 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #143, Lily #123.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls23 shared years, 2003–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Lily in 8.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2017, Lily #7 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #18, Lily #9.
New Zealand · Girls21 shared years, 2003–2023
Ava held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Lily in 11.
Highest recorded here: Ava #5 in 2017, Lily #5 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ava #8, Lily #7.
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 | Ava | Lily |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | From the English word for the lily flower. |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve | English (flower name) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪvə/ | /ˈlɪli/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | 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 | New South Wales, Australia · 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
- Ava is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve origin, while Lily is recorded with a English (flower name) origin.
- Ava and Lily both have 2 syllables.
- Ava'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.
- The available evidence gives Ava 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
Ava
Popularity journey
First recorded1978
First recorded at #522 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1978 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1978–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2008 (recorded 1978–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #18 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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