Ella vs Lillian
Ella and Lilliancompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Ella was ranked #4 and Lillian #295 among girls in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2017, Ella was ranked #9 and Lillian #86 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ella was ranked #9 and Lillian #476 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Ella was ranked #12 and Lillian #418 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ella was ranked #17 and Lillian #413 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ella was ranked #39 and Lillian #309 among girls in England and Wales.
Ella and Lillian over time
Ella and Lillian appear together in 4 published lists, across 153 years of shared records. Ella held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Lillian in 1.
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.
Ella reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Lillian in 1. 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 1997, Ella moved ahead of Lillian in Norway · Girls — #257 and #214 the year before became #189 and #288.
- Longest-running competitions
Ella and Lillian were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 74 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #4 and #295.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ella #6 in 2015, Lillian #274 in 2017.
List by list
Norway · Girls74 shared years, 1945–2025
Ella held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Lillian in 44.
Highest recorded here: Ella #3 in 2019, Lillian #40 in 1945.
The order changed in 1997: Ella moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #257 and #214; by 1997 that had become #189 and #288.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ella #4, Lillian #295.
Republic of Ireland · Girls41 shared years, 1970–2025
Ella held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Lillian in 5.
Highest recorded here: Ella #3 in 2007, Lillian #236 in 2016.
The order changed in 1985: Ella moved ahead. In 1984 they stood at #459 and #343; by 1985 that had become #456 and #519.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ella #17, Lillian #413.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ella held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Lillian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ella #6 in 2015, Lillian #274 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ella #39, Lillian #309.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls9 shared years, 2003–2017
Ella held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Lillian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ella #2 in 2007, Lillian #62 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Ella #9, Lillian #86.
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 | Ella | Lillian |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A diminutive of Eleanor, Ellen and other names beginning with 'El-', also used as a short form of names ending in '-ella'. Widely used across Scandinavian and Germanic languages as well as English. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Germanic, diminutive form | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛl.ə/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #4 (2025) | Norway · Girls #295 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ella has a recorded origin (Germanic, diminutive form); Lillian does not have one recorded yet.
- Ella and Lillian both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ella; Lillian doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Ella
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #137 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1993–2023
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New Zealand, in 2007 (recorded 1993–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Lillian
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #40 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #40 among girls in Norway, in 1945 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #295 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls