Namewise

Avril vs Lilian

Avril and Liliancompared 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 2018, Avril was ranked #734 and Lilian #512 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Avril was ranked #2138 and Lilian #531 among girls in England and Wales.

Avril and Lilian over time

Avril and Lilian appear together in 2 published lists, across 69 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 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

    Avril and Lilian changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2018, ending at #734 and #512.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Avril and Lilian were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #2138 and #531.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls39 shared years, 19642018

    Avril held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Lilian in 4.

    Highest recorded here: Avril #101 in 1977, Lilian #194 in 1964.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2018: Avril #734, Lilian #512.

  • England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 19962025

    Avril held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Lilian in 30.

    Highest recorded here: Avril #1224 in 2003, Lilian #451 in 2007.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Avril #2138, Lilian #531.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Avril, Lilian
FieldAvrilLilian
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageGB-ENW, IEGB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Girls #2138 (2025)England and Wales · Girls #531 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)60/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Avril and Lilian both have 2 syllables.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.

How each name got here

Avril

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1964

    First recorded at #194 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 recorded1964–2024

    Highest recorded position: #101 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1977 (recorded 1964–2024).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #2138 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Lilian

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1946

    First recorded at #334 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1964–2023

    Highest recorded position: #194 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2023).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #531 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls