Cecelia vs Lilian
Cecelia 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Cecelia was ranked #426 and Lilian #531 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Cecelia was ranked #431 and Lilian #638 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2014, Cecelia was ranked #584 and Lilian #536 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Cecelia and Lilian over time
Cecelia and Lilian appear together in 2 published lists, across 47 years of shared records. Lilian held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Cecelia in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Lilian reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Cecelia 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.
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
Cecelia and Lilian changed places 7 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2014, ending at #584 and #536.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Cecelia #189 in 1964, Lilian #194 in 1964.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls26 shared years, 1996–2025
Cecelia held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Lilian in 22.
Highest recorded here: Cecelia #426 in 2025, Lilian #451 in 2007.
The order changed in 2023: Cecelia moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #562 and #562; by 2023 that had become #498 and #754.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cecelia #426, Lilian #531.
Republic of Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 1964–2014
Cecelia held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Lilian in 16.
Highest recorded here: Cecelia #189 in 1964, Lilian #194 in 1964.
The order changed in 2007: Lilian moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #411 and #502; by 2007 that had become #842 and #705.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Cecelia #584, Lilian #536.
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 | Cecelia | Lilian |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #426 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #531 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cecelia has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Lilian.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Cecelia
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #189 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 recorded1964–2024
Highest recorded position: #189 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #426 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Lilian
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1964–2023
Highest recorded position: #194 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #531 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls