Gemma vs Lilian
Gemma 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Gemma was ranked #445 and Lilian #555 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Gemma was ranked #4867 and Lilian #531 among girls in England and Wales.
Gemma and Lilian over time
Gemma and Lilian appear together in 2 published lists, across 70 years of shared records. Gemma held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Lilian in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
Gemma and Lilian were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #4867 and #531.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls40 shared years, 1964–2023
Gemma held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Lilian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Gemma #50 in 1984, Lilian #194 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Gemma #445, Lilian #555.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Gemma held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Lilian in 13.
Highest recorded here: Gemma #50 in 1996, Lilian #451 in 2007.
The order changed in 2013: Lilian moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #580 and #624; by 2013 that had become #982 and #575.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Gemma #4867, Lilian #531.
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 | Gemma | 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 | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #718 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #531 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Gemma and Lilian both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Gemma
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #149 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 recorded1982–2008
Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in New Zealand, in 1984 (recorded 1982–2008).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4867 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