Freya vs Lily
Freya 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, Freya was ranked #25 and Lily #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Freya was ranked #7 and Lily #3 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Freya was ranked #3 and Lily #4 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Freya was ranked #10 and Lily #6 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Freya was ranked #31 and Lily #7 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Freya was ranked #49 and Lily #9 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Freya was ranked #147 and Lily #123 among girls in Norway.
Freya and Lily over time
Freya and Lily appear together in 7 published lists, across 140 years of shared records. Lily held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Freya 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.
Freya reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Lily in 2. 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Freya and Lily averaged 15.2 places apart, ending at #7 and #3.
- Longest-running competitions
Freya and Lily were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 31 years, from 1992 to 2025, ending at #25 and #1.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Freya #38 in 2023, Lily #7 in 2023.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls31 shared years, 1992–2025
Freya held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Lily in 29.
Highest recorded here: Freya #12 in 2024, Lily #1 in 2025.
The order changed in 1997: Lily moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #471 and #534; by 1997 that had become #363 and #254.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Freya #25, Lily #1.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Freya held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Lily in 28.
Highest recorded here: Freya #5 in 2023, Lily #3 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Freya #7, Lily #3.
Northern Ireland · Girls23 shared years, 2002–2024
Freya held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Lily in 22.
Highest recorded here: Freya #9 in 2022, Lily #5 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Freya #10, Lily #6.
Norway · Girls20 shared years, 2005–2025
Freya held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Lily in 19.
Highest recorded here: Freya #115 in 2023, Lily #90 in 2024.
The order changed in 2006: Lily moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #326 and #555; by 2006 that had become #315 and #290.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Freya #147, Lily #123.
Scotland · Girls17 shared years, 2024–2024
Freya held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Lily in 0.
Highest recorded here: Freya #3 in 2024, Lily #4 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Freya #3, Lily #4.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls10 shared years, 2016–2025
Freya held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Lily in 10.
Highest recorded here: Freya #38 in 2023, Lily #7 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Freya #49, Lily #9.
New Zealand · Girls10 shared years, 2014–2023
Freya held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Lily in 10.
Highest recorded here: Freya #22 in 2021, Lily #5 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Freya #31, Lily #7.
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 | Freya | Lily |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'lady' or 'noblewoman'. | From the English word for the lily flower. |
| Origin | Old Norse | English (flower name) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈfreɪə/ | /ˈlɪli/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Freyja, Freja | 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 | Scotland · Girls #1 (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 | high | high |
What the data shows
- Freya is recorded with a Old Norse origin, while Lily is recorded with a English (flower name) origin.
- Freya has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Lily.
- Freya'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.
How each name got here
Freya
Popularity journey
First recorded1987
First recorded at #488 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1987 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2024–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Scotland, in 2025 (recorded 2024–2025).
Scotland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #49 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