Harper vs Lily
Harper 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, Harper was ranked #54 and Lily #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Harper was ranked #23 and Lily #2 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Harper was ranked #21 and Lily #4 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Harper was ranked #5 and Lily #7 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Harper was ranked #84 and Lily #6 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Harper was ranked #15 and Lily #9 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2011, Harper was ranked #1087 and Lily #4647 among boys in England and Wales.
Harper and Lily over time
Harper and Lily appear together in 5 published lists, across 79 years of shared records. Lily held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Harper in 2.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Harper 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Harper and Lily changed places 6 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 2011 and 2025, ending at #15 and #9.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Harper #22 in 2023, Lily #2 in 2025.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls24 shared years, 2001–2025
Harper held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Lily in 24.
Highest recorded here: Harper #22 in 2023, Lily #2 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harper #23, Lily #2.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls15 shared years, 2011–2025
Harper held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Lily in 7.
Highest recorded here: Harper #7 in 2024, Lily #7 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harper #15, Lily #9.
Republic of Ireland · Girls15 shared years, 2009–2025
Harper held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Lily in 15.
Highest recorded here: Harper #53 in 2018, Lily #1 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harper #54, Lily #1.
Northern Ireland · Girls13 shared years, 2012–2024
Harper held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Lily in 13.
Highest recorded here: Harper #38 in 2021, Lily #6 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harper #84, Lily #6.
New Zealand · Girls12 shared years, 2012–2023
Harper held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Lily in 4.
Highest recorded here: Harper #2 in 2017, Lily #5 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Harper #5, 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 | Harper | Lily |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | An English occupational surname for someone who played or made harps, from Old English 'hearpe'. Popularized as a given name partly through author Harper Lee, who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird. | From the English word for the lily flower. |
| Origin | English (occupational surname) | English (flower name) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhɑɹ.pəɹ/ | /ˈlɪli/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Lil, Lilah, Lillie, Lilly, Lilian |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #15 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #1 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Harper is recorded with a English (occupational surname) origin, while Lily is recorded with a English (flower name) origin.
- Harper and Lily both have 2 syllables.
- Harper'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.
- The available evidence gives Harper a "medium" Data Confidence level and Lily a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Harper
Popularity journey
First recorded1999
First recorded at #2425 among boys in England and Wales in 1999 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2012–2023
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New Zealand, in 2017 (recorded 2012–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #23 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · 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 #2 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls