Beate vs Lily
Beate 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2018, Beate was ranked #5666 and Lily #13 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2017, Beate was ranked #523 and Lily #137 among girls in Norway.
Beate and Lily over time
Beate and Lily appear together in 1 published list, across 14 years of shared records. Lily held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Beate in 0.
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.
Beate reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Lily in none. 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.
List by list
Norway · Girls14 shared years, 1994–2017
Beate held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Lily in 10.
Highest recorded here: Beate #165 in 1994, Lily #120 in 2012.
The order changed in 2006: Lily moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #485 and #555; by 2006 that had become #468 and #290.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Beate #523, Lily #137.
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 | Beate | Lily |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From the English word for the lily flower. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | English (flower name) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈlɪli/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Lil, Lilah, Lillie, Lilly, Lilian |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5666 (2018) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #1 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Lily has a recorded origin (English (flower name)); Beate does not have one recorded yet.
- Beate and Lily both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Lily; Beate doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
- The available evidence gives Beate 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
Beate
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #270 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2017
Highest recorded position: #47 among girls in Norway, in 1977 (recorded 1945–2017).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #523 among girls in Norway, in 2017.
Norway · 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