Lilly vs Sonja
Lilly 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, Lilly was ranked #38 and Sonja #35 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2012, Lilly was ranked #75 and Sonja #907 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2020, Lilly was ranked #91 and Sonja #3899 among girls in England and Wales.
Lilly and Sonja over time
Lilly and Sonja appear together in 2 published lists, across 100 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Lilly and Sonja changed places 4 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #38 and #35.
- Mirrored each other
Over 21 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Lilly rose about as far as Sonja fell — from #375 and #2096 in 1996 to #91 and #3899 in 2020.
- Longest-running competitions
Lilly and Sonja were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 79 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #38 and #35.
List by list
Norway · Girls79 shared years, 1945–2025
Lilly held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Sonja in 54.
Highest recorded here: Lilly #30 in 2015, Sonja #35 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lilly #38, Sonja #35.
England and Wales · Girls21 shared years, 1996–2020
Lilly held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Sonja in 0.
Highest recorded here: Lilly #27 in 2011, Sonja #1970 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Lilly #91, Sonja #3899.
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 | 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, NZ | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #38 (2025) | Norway · Girls #35 (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 Sonja both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
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