Lillian vs Sonja
Lillian and Sonjacompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Lillian was ranked #295 and Sonja #35 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2012, Lillian was ranked #295 and Sonja #907 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2020, Lillian was ranked #333 and Sonja #3899 among girls in England and Wales.
Lillian and Sonja over time
Lillian and Sonja appear together in 3 published lists, across 117 years of shared records. Lillian held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Sonja in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Sonja reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Lillian in 1. 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
Lillian and Sonja changed places 9 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #295 and #35.
- Longest-running competitions
Lillian and Sonja were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #295 and #35.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1945 they stood at #40 and #44 in Norway · Girls, 4 places apart; by 2025 they were #295 and #35.
List by list
Norway · Girls81 shared years, 1945–2025
Lillian held the stronger position in 55 of those years, Sonja in 26.
Highest recorded here: Lillian #40 in 1945, Sonja #35 in 2025.
The order changed in 2007: Sonja moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #368 and #461; by 2007 that had become #611 and #303.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lillian #295, Sonja #35.
England and Wales · Girls21 shared years, 1996–2020
Lillian held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Sonja in 0.
Highest recorded here: Lillian #293 in 2016, Sonja #1970 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Lillian #333, Sonja #3899.
Republic of Ireland · Girls15 shared years, 1965–2012
Lillian held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Sonja in 5.
Highest recorded here: Lillian #295 in 2012, Sonja #289 in 1971.
The order changed in 2012: Lillian moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #516 and #448; by 2012 that had become #295 and #907.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Lillian #295, Sonja #907.
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 | Lillian | Sonja |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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 | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #295 (2025) | Norway · Girls #35 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Lillian and Sonja both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
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
Sonja
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #44 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: #35 among girls in Norway, in 2025 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #35 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls