Grace vs Lily
Grace 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Grace was ranked #1 and Lily #6 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Grace was ranked #4 and Lily #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Grace was ranked #25 and Lily #3 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Grace was ranked #13 and Lily #4 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Grace was ranked #18 and Lily #7 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Grace was ranked #11 and Lily #9 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Grace was ranked #503 and Lily #123 among girls in Norway.
Grace and Lily over time
Grace and Lily appear together in 6 published lists, across 162 years of shared records. Grace held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Lily in 1.
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.
Grace reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2020, Lily moved ahead of Grace in England and Wales · Girls — #8 and #9 the year before became #11 and #7.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Grace and Lily changed places 5 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 1997 and 2025, ending at #11 and #9.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Grace and Lily averaged 10.8 places apart, ending at #25 and #3.
- Longest-running competitions
Grace and Lily were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 36 years, from 1981 to 2025, ending at #4 and #1.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Grace #1 in 2013, Lily #5 in 2011.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls36 shared years, 1981–2025
Grace held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Lily in 1.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2020, Lily #1 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #4, Lily #1.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Grace held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Lily in 13.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2006, Lily #3 in 2011.
The order changed in 2020: Lily moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #8 and #9; by 2020 that had become #11 and #7.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Grace #25, Lily #3.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls29 shared years, 1997–2025
Grace held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Lily in 7.
Highest recorded here: Grace #7 in 2018, Lily #7 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #11, Lily #9.
New Zealand · Girls27 shared years, 1997–2023
Grace held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Lily in 11.
Highest recorded here: Grace #5 in 2000, Lily #5 in 2022.
The order changed in 2020: Lily moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #11 and #19; by 2020 that had become #17 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Grace #18, Lily #7.
Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1999–2024
Grace held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Lily in 0.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2013, Lily #5 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Grace #1, Lily #6.
Norway · Girls15 shared years, 1997–2025
Grace held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Lily in 13.
Highest recorded here: Grace #354 in 2017, Lily #90 in 2024.
The order changed in 2006: Lily moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #495 and #555; by 2006 that had become #556 and #290.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #503, Lily #123.
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 | Grace | Lily |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Grace, favour (the English virtue word, used directly as a name). | From the English word for the lily flower. |
| Origin | English (virtue name), from Latin gratia | English (flower name) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɡɹeɪs/ | /ˈlɪli/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Gracie | 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 | Republic of Ireland · Girls #4 (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
- Grace is recorded with a English (virtue name), from Latin gratia origin, while Lily is recorded with a English (flower name) origin.
- Grace and Lily both have 2 syllables.
- Grace'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
Grace
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #393 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2006 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 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