Isla vs Lily
Isla 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, Isla was ranked #13 and Lily #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #2 and Lily #4 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #4 and Lily #3 among girls in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Isla was ranked #3 and Lily #7 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Isla was ranked #4 and Lily #9 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #8 and Lily #6 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Isla and Lily over time
Isla and Lily appear together in 6 published lists, across 133 years of shared records. Isla held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Lily in 2.
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.
Lily reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Isla 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 2014, Isla moved ahead of Lily in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #19 and #17 the year before became #13 and #21.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 20 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Isla and Lily averaged 19.8 places apart, ending at #3 and #7.
- Longest-running competitions
Isla and Lily were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 37 years, from 1996 to 2024, ending at #4 and #3.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Girls within 2 years — Isla #1 in 2020, Lily #5 in 2022.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls37 shared years, 1996–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Lily in 18.
Highest recorded here: Isla #3 in 2014, Lily #3 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #4, Lily #3.
Republic of Ireland · Girls22 shared years, 2002–2025
Isla held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Lily in 22.
Highest recorded here: Isla #11 in 2023, Lily #1 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Isla #13, Lily #1.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 2004–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Lily in 13.
Highest recorded here: Isla #1 in 2023, Lily #5 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #8, Lily #6.
New Zealand · Girls20 shared years, 2004–2023
Isla held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Lily in 8.
Highest recorded here: Isla #1 in 2020, Lily #5 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Isla #3, Lily #7.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls18 shared years, 2008–2025
Isla held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Lily in 6.
Highest recorded here: Isla #1 in 2023, Lily #7 in 2010.
The order changed in 2014: Isla moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #19 and #17; by 2014 that had become #13 and #21.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Isla #4, Lily #9.
Scotland · Girls15 shared years, 2024–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Lily in 0.
Highest recorded here: Isla #2 in 2024, Lily #4 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #2, Lily #4.
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 | Isla | Lily |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A Scottish place name; not generally treated as having a separate lexical 'meaning' beyond the river/place it names. | From the English word for the lily flower. |
| Origin | Scottish | English (flower name) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈaɪlə/ | /ˈlɪli/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Islay | 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 #4 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #1 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- Isla is recorded with a Scottish origin, while Lily is recorded with a English (flower name) origin.
- Isla and Lily both have 2 syllables.
- Isla'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.
How each name got here
Isla
Popularity journey
First recorded1979
First recorded at #467 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1979 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2008–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 2008–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4 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