Lily vs Lucy
Lily and Lucycompared 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 2025, Lily was ranked #1 and Lucy #16 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Lily was ranked #3 and Lucy #123 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Lily was ranked #4 and Lucy #28 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Lily was ranked #6 and Lucy #38 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Lily was ranked #7 and Lucy #21 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Lily was ranked #9 and Lucy #32 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Lily was ranked #123 and Lucy #296 among girls in Norway.
Lily and Lucy over time
Lily and Lucy appear together in 6 published lists, across 170 years of shared records. Lily held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Lucy in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 5 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Lucy reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Lily 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 2007, Lily moved ahead of Lucy in England and Wales · Girls — #9 and #8 the year before became #8 and #11.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Lily and Lucy changed places 5 times in New Zealand · Girls between 1997 and 2023, ending at #7 and #21.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Lily and Lucy averaged 38.0 places apart, ending at #3 and #123.
- Longest-running competitions
Lily and Lucy were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 36 years, from 1981 to 2025, ending at #1 and #16.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Lily #7 in 2010, Lucy #20 in 2012.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls36 shared years, 1981–2025
Lily held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Lucy in 30.
Highest recorded here: Lily #1 in 2025, Lucy #3 in 2016.
The order changed in 2022: Lily moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #9 and #6; by 2022 that had become #5 and #16.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #1, Lucy #16.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Lily held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Lucy in 11.
Highest recorded here: Lily #3 in 2011, Lucy #7 in 2003.
The order changed in 2007: Lily moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #9 and #8; by 2007 that had become #8 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lily #3, Lucy #123.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls29 shared years, 1997–2025
Lily held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Lucy in 4.
Highest recorded here: Lily #7 in 2010, Lucy #20 in 2012.
The order changed in 2001: Lily moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #36 and #35; by 2001 that had become #23 and #24.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #9, Lucy #32.
New Zealand · Girls27 shared years, 1997–2023
Lily held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Lucy in 12.
Highest recorded here: Lily #5 in 2022, Lucy #12 in 2006.
The order changed in 2019: Lily moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #19 and #15; by 2019 that had become #19 and #20.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Lily #7, Lucy #21.
Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1999–2024
Lily held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Lucy in 18.
Highest recorded here: Lily #5 in 2011, Lucy #4 in 2007.
The order changed in 2022: Lily moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #14 and #12; by 2022 that had become #7 and #23.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lily #6, Lucy #38.
Norway · Girls23 shared years, 2001–2025
Lily held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Lucy in 1.
Highest recorded here: Lily #90 in 2024, Lucy #212 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #123, Lucy #296.
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 | Lily | Lucy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | From the English word for the lily flower. | The English form of Lucia, from Latin 'lux' meaning 'light'. In use since the Middle Ages. |
| Origin | English (flower name) | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈlɪli/ | /ˈluː.si/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Lil, Lilah, Lillie, Lilly, Lilian | 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #1 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #16 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Lily is recorded with a English (flower name) origin, while Lucy is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Lily and Lucy both have 2 syllables.
- Lily's recorded meaning differs from Lucy's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Lily a "high" Data Confidence level and Lucy a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Lily
Popularity journey
First recorded1981
First recorded at #471 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1981 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1981–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025 (recorded 1981–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #9 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Lucy
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #523 among girls in Norway in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2016 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #32 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls