Kate vs Lilli
Kate and Lillicompared 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 2019, Kate was ranked #24 and Lilli #716 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2013, Kate was ranked #61 and Lilli #440 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2022, Kate was ranked #490 and Lilli #190 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Kate was ranked #1079 and Lilli #3705 among girls in England and Wales.
Kate and Lilli over time
Kate and Lilli appear together in 2 published lists, across 65 years of shared records. Kate held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Lilli 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.
Kate reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Lilli in none. 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Kate and Lilli were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1079 and #3705.
List by list
Norway · Girls35 shared years, 1945–2022
Kate held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Lilli in 11.
Highest recorded here: Kate #104 in 1956, Lilli #182 in 2016.
The order changed in 2005: Lilli moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #552 and #603; by 2005 that had become #503 and #437.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Kate #490, Lilli #190.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Kate held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Lilli in 0.
Highest recorded here: Kate #59 in 1996, Lilli #359 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Kate #1079, Lilli #3705.
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 | Kate | Lilli |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A short form of Katherine, used independently since the Middle Ages — appears in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew (1593) as a short form of Katherina. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Greek, short form of Katherine | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkeɪt/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #52 (2025) | Norway · Girls #283 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Kate has a recorded origin (Greek, short form of Katherine); Lilli does not have one recorded yet.
- Kate and Lilli both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Kate; Lilli doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Kate
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #233 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #10 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1079 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Lilli
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #347 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: #182 among girls in Norway, in 2016 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3705 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls