Lilly vs Nancy
Lilly and Nancycompared 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 2011, Lilly was ranked #54 and Nancy #482 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Lilly was ranked #130 and Nancy #81 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Lilly was ranked #141 and Nancy #99 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Lilly was ranked #227 and Nancy #127 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Lilly was ranked #138 and Nancy #260 among girls in Scotland.
Lilly and Nancy over time
Lilly and Nancy appear together in 4 published lists, across 131 years of shared records. Lilly held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Nancy in 1.
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.
Lilly reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Nancy 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2019, Nancy moved ahead of Lilly in Northern Ireland · Girls — #179 and #273 the year before became #167 and #119.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Lilly and Nancy changed places 4 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2011, ending at #54 and #482.
- Mirrored each other
Over 58 shared years in Norway · Girls, Lilly rose about as far as Nancy fell — from #150 and #249 in 1945 to #54 and #482 in 2011.
- Longest-running competitions
Lilly and Nancy were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 58 years, from 1945 to 2011, ending at #54 and #482.
List by list
Norway · Girls58 shared years, 1945–2011
Lilly held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Nancy in 32.
Highest recorded here: Lilly #54 in 2011, Nancy #151 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Lilly #54, Nancy #482.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Lilly held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Nancy in 10.
Highest recorded here: Lilly #27 in 2011, Nancy #64 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lilly #130, Nancy #81.
Republic of Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1983–2025
Lilly held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Nancy in 3.
Highest recorded here: Lilly #75 in 2012, Nancy #99 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lilly #141, Nancy #99.
Northern Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 2005–2024
Lilly held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Nancy in 7.
Highest recorded here: Lilly #106 in 2011, Nancy #95 in 2020.
The order changed in 2019: Nancy moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #179 and #273; by 2019 that had become #167 and #119.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lilly #227, Nancy #127.
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 | Lilly | Nancy |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #38 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #99 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Lilly and Nancy both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Lilly
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #150 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #27 among girls in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #38 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Nancy
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #249 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #64 among girls in England and Wales, in 2018 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #99 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls