Lily vs Matilda
Lily and Matildacompared 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 Matilda #106 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Lily was ranked #3 and Matilda #31 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Lily was ranked #4 and Matilda #148 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Lily was ranked #6 and Matilda #110 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Lily was ranked #7 and Matilda #27 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Lily was ranked #9 and Matilda #16 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Lily was ranked #123 and Matilda #150 among girls in Norway.
Lily and Matilda over time
Lily and Matilda appear together in 6 published lists, across 134 years of shared records. Lily held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Matilda in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 3 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
Lily and Matilda changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 2004 and 2025, ending at #9 and #16.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Lily and Matilda averaged 54.9 places apart, ending at #3 and #31.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Girls within 2 years — Lily #5 in 2022, Matilda #20 in 2021.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Lily held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Matilda in 0.
Highest recorded here: Lily #3 in 2011, Matilda #25 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lily #3, Matilda #31.
Republic of Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1997–2025
Lily held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Matilda in 0.
Highest recorded here: Lily #1 in 2025, Matilda #97 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #1, Matilda #106.
Norway · Girls23 shared years, 1997–2025
Lily held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Matilda in 2.
Highest recorded here: Lily #90 in 2024, Matilda #145 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #123, Matilda #150.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls22 shared years, 2004–2025
Lily held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Matilda in 7.
Highest recorded here: Lily #7 in 2010, Matilda #8 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #9, Matilda #16.
Northern Ireland · Girls20 shared years, 2004–2024
Lily held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Matilda in 0.
Highest recorded here: Lily #5 in 2011, Matilda #91 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lily #6, Matilda #110.
New Zealand · Girls14 shared years, 2009–2023
Lily held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Matilda in 0.
Highest recorded here: Lily #5 in 2022, Matilda #20 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Lily #7, Matilda #27.
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 | Matilda |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | From the English word for the lily flower. | Commonly interpreted as 'strength in battle' or 'mighty in battle'. |
| Origin | English (flower name) | Germanic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈlɪli/ | /məˈtɪldə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Lil, Lilah, Lillie, Lilly, Lilian | Tilly, Mathilde |
| 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) | United Kingdom #8 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- Lily is recorded with a English (flower name) origin, while Matilda is recorded with a Germanic origin.
- Lily has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Matilda.
- Lily's recorded meaning differs from Matilda's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
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
Matilda
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #325 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2004–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2022 (recorded 2004–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #16 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls