Chloe vs Lily
Chloe 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, Chloe was ranked #22 and Lily #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Chloe was ranked #72 and Lily #3 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Chloe was ranked #39 and Lily #4 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Chloe was ranked #105 and Lily #6 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Chloe was ranked #7 and Lily #9 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Chloe was ranked #23 and Lily #7 among girls in New Zealand.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Chloe was ranked #341 and Lily #123 among girls in Norway.
Chloe and Lily over time
Chloe and Lily appear together in 5 published lists, across 146 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Chloe reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 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.
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 2010, Lily moved ahead of Chloe in England and Wales · Girls — #3 and #8 the year before became #8 and #4.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Chloe and Lily changed places 7 times in New Zealand · Girls between 1997 and 2023, ending at #23 and #7.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Chloe and Lily averaged 28.6 places apart, ending at #72 and #3.
- Longest-running competitions
Chloe and Lily were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 35 years, from 1988 to 2025, ending at #22 and #1.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls35 shared years, 1988–2025
Chloe held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Lily in 12.
Highest recorded here: Chloe #1 in 1998, Lily #1 in 2025.
The order changed in 2018: Lily moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #10 and #13; by 2018 that had become #16 and #15.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Chloe #22, Lily #1.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Chloe held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Lily in 15.
Highest recorded here: Chloe #1 in 1997, Lily #3 in 2011.
The order changed in 2010: Lily moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #3 and #8; by 2010 that had become #8 and #4.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Chloe #72, Lily #3.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls29 shared years, 1997–2025
Chloe held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Lily in 1.
Highest recorded here: Chloe #1 in 2006, Lily #7 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Chloe #7, Lily #9.
New Zealand · Girls27 shared years, 1997–2023
Chloe held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Lily in 17.
Highest recorded here: Chloe #8 in 2010, Lily #5 in 2022.
The order changed in 2020: Lily moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #17 and #19; by 2020 that had become #14 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Chloe #23, Lily #7.
Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1999–2024
Chloe held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Lily in 13.
Highest recorded here: Chloe #1 in 1999, Lily #5 in 2011.
The order changed in 2013: Lily moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #11 and #13; by 2013 that had become #18 and #17.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Chloe #105, Lily #6.
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 | Chloe | Lily |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'green shoot', referring to new plant growth in spring; used as an epithet of the Greek goddess Demeter. | From the English word for the lily flower. |
| Origin | Ancient Greek | English (flower name) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkloʊi/ | /ˈlɪli/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 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 #7 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #1 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Chloe is recorded with a Ancient Greek origin, while Lily is recorded with a English (flower name) origin.
- Chloe has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Lily.
- Chloe'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 Chloe 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
Chloe
Popularity journey
First recorded1974
First recorded at #490 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1974 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 1997 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #7 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