Janice vs Lillian

Janice and Lilliancompared 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.

England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Janice was ranked #2771 and Lillian #309 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2009, Janice was ranked #742 and Lillian #314 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

Janice and Lillian over time

Janice and Lillian appear together in 2 published lists, across 60 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.

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
Janice and Lillian were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 31 years, from 1964 to 2009, ending at #742 and #314.

List by list

Republic of Ireland · Girls31 shared years, 1964–2009
Janice held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Lillian in 1.
Highest recorded here: Janice #117 in 1980, Lillian #300 in 1964.
The order changed in 2009: Lillian moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #440 and #576; by 2009 that had become #742 and #314.
Most recent shared year, 2009: Janice #742, Lillian #314.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Janice held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Lillian in 29.
Highest recorded here: Janice #1364 in 1996, Lillian #274 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Janice #2771, Lillian #309.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Janice

Pairs where Janice shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Christine vs Janice
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Christine #1 in 1952, Janice #31 in 1953.
Christine · Janice · 11 shared years, 1952–1963 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1953 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Karen vs Janice
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Girls within 2 years — Karen #1 in 1957, Janice #22 in 1955.
Karen · Janice · 11 shared years, 1954–1964 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1957 New Zealand ranking
Susan vs Janice
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Susan #1 in 1954, Janice #31 in 1953.
Susan · Janice · 11 shared years, 1952–1963 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1954 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Joanne vs Janice
In New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Joanne moved into the top 50 at #30 in 1957 as Janice fell out of it to #58, having been #45 the year before.
Joanne · Janice · 11 shared years, 1952–1963 · One took the other's place near the top
See the 1957 New South Wales, Australia ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Janice, Lillian
Field	Janice	Lillian
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
Syllables	3	2
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO
Most recent popularity observation	England and Wales · Girls #2771 (2024)	Norway · Girls #295 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	88/100	82/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Janice has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Lillian.
Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.

How each name got here

Janice

Popularity journey

First recorded1952
First recorded at #32 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1964
Highest recorded position: #22 among girls in New Zealand, in 1955 (recorded 1954–1964).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2771 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls

Lillian

Popularity journey

First recorded1945
First recorded at #40 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #40 among girls in Norway, in 1945 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #295 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls