Namewise

Claire vs Lily

Claire 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, Claire was ranked #352 and Lily #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Claire was ranked #1362 and Lily #2 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Claire was ranked #638 and Lily #4 among girls in Scotland.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Claire was ranked #407 and Lily #6 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 2013, Claire was ranked #96 and Lily #14 among girls in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 2022, Claire was ranked #86 and Lily #15 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

Claire and Lily over time

Claire and Lily appear together in 4 published lists, across 113 years of shared records. Lily held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Claire in 0.

The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Claire reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 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 1999, Lily moved ahead of Claire in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #52 and #56 the year before became #56 and #42.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 26 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Claire and Lily averaged 41.4 places apart, ending at #86 and #15.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Claire and Lily were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1362 and #2.

  • Started together, ended far apart

    In 1996 they stood at #90 and #85 in England and Wales · Girls, 5 places apart; by 2025 they were #1362 and #2.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls36 shared years, 1981–2025

    Claire held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Lily in 22.

    Highest recorded here: Claire #12 in 1988, Lily #1 in 2025.

    The order changed in 2004: Lily moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #61 and #75; by 2004 that had become #86 and #59.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Claire #352, Lily #1.

  • England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Claire held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Lily in 30.

    Highest recorded here: Claire #90 in 1996, Lily #2 in 2025.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Claire #1362, Lily #2.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls26 shared years, 1997–2022

    Claire held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Lily in 24.

    Highest recorded here: Claire #40 in 2007, Lily #7 in 2010.

    The order changed in 1999: Lily moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #52 and #56; by 1999 that had become #56 and #42.

    Most recent shared year, 2022: Claire #86, Lily #15.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 1999–2024

    Claire held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Lily in 17.

    Highest recorded here: Claire #32 in 1999, Lily #5 in 2011.

    The order changed in 2003: Lily moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #58 and #162; by 2003 that had become #89 and #79.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Claire #407, 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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Claire

Pairs where Claire shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Lily

Pairs where Lily shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — started together, ended far apart.

All started together, ended far apart→

Other pairs from England and Wales lists

Pairs measured inside England and Wales's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

England and Wales overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Claire, Lily
FieldClaireLily
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningThe French form of Clara, from Latin 'clarus' meaning 'clear, bright'.From the English word for the lily flower.
OriginLatin, via French transmissionEnglish (flower name)
Pronunciation/klɛʁ//ˈlɪli/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesClaraLil, Lilah, Lillie, Lilly, Lilian
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #352 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #1 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencehighhigh

What the data shows

  • Claire is recorded with a Latin, via French transmission origin, while Lily is recorded with a English (flower name) origin.
  • Claire and Lily both have 2 syllables.
  • Claire'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, NZ.

How each name got here

Claire

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1954

    First recorded at #98 among girls in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New Zealand · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #10 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1984 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #1362 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Lily

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1981–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025 (recorded 1981–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #2 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls