Lilly vs Phoebe
Lilly and Phoebecompared 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, Lilly was ranked #130 and Phoebe #17 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Lilly was ranked #227 and Phoebe #30 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2017, Lilly was ranked #89 and Phoebe #42 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Lilly was ranked #138 and Phoebe #46 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2022, Lilly was ranked #97 and Phoebe #76 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Lilly was ranked #141 and Phoebe #97 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Lilly and Phoebe over time
Lilly and Phoebe appear together in 5 published lists, across 108 years of shared records. Phoebe held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Lilly in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Lilly reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Phoebe 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
Lilly and Phoebe changed places 8 times in New Zealand · Girls between 2005 and 2022, ending at #97 and #76.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Lilly held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Phoebe in 29.
Highest recorded here: Lilly #27 in 2011, Phoebe #17 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lilly #130, Phoebe #17.
Republic of Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1999–2025
Lilly held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Phoebe in 9.
Highest recorded here: Lilly #75 in 2012, Phoebe #78 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lilly #141, Phoebe #97.
Northern Ireland · Girls20 shared years, 2005–2024
Lilly held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Phoebe in 20.
Highest recorded here: Lilly #106 in 2011, Phoebe #30 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lilly #227, Phoebe #30.
New Zealand · Girls18 shared years, 2005–2022
Lilly held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Phoebe in 11.
Highest recorded here: Lilly #39 in 2011, Phoebe #53 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Lilly #97, Phoebe #76.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls15 shared years, 2003–2017
Lilly held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Phoebe in 8.
Highest recorded here: Lilly #35 in 2009, Phoebe #39 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Lilly #89, Phoebe #42.
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 | Phoebe |
|---|---|---|
| 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, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #38 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #65 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Lilly and Phoebe both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
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
Phoebe
Popularity journey
First recorded1985
First recorded at #519 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1985 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #65 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls