Lily vs Mia
Lily and Miacompared 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 Mia #11 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Lily was ranked #3 and Mia #14 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Lily was ranked #4 and Mia #26 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Lily was ranked #9 and Mia #5 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Lily was ranked #6 and Mia #20 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Lily was ranked #7 and Mia #13 among girls in New Zealand.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Lily was ranked #123 and Mia #21 among girls in Norway.
Lily and Mia over time
Lily and Mia appear together in 6 published lists, across 167 years of shared records. Mia held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Lily in 2.
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.
Mia reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Lily in 2. 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 2016, Lily moved ahead of Mia in Northern Ireland · Girls — #15 and #14 the year before became #6 and #21.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Lily and Mia changed places 8 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #3 and #14.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Lily and Mia averaged 6.4 places apart, ending at #3 and #14.
- Longest-running competitions
Lily and Mia were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 34 years, from 1988 to 2025, ending at #1 and #11.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Lily #7 in 2010, Mia #2 in 2008.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1988–2025
Lily held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Mia in 22.
Highest recorded here: Lily #1 in 2025, Mia #6 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #1, Mia #11.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Lily held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Mia in 11.
Highest recorded here: Lily #3 in 2011, Mia #5 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lily #3, Mia #14.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls29 shared years, 1997–2025
Lily held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Mia in 24.
Highest recorded here: Lily #7 in 2010, Mia #2 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #9, Mia #5.
Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1999–2024
Lily held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Mia in 13.
Highest recorded here: Lily #5 in 2011, Mia #14 in 2015.
The order changed in 2016: Lily moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #15 and #14; by 2016 that had become #6 and #21.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lily #6, Mia #20.
Norway · Girls26 shared years, 1994–2025
Lily held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Mia in 26.
Highest recorded here: Lily #90 in 2024, Mia #8 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #123, Mia #21.
New Zealand · Girls23 shared years, 2001–2023
Lily held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Mia in 8.
Highest recorded here: Lily #5 in 2022, Mia #7 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Lily #7, Mia #13.
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 | Mia |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | From the English word for the lily flower. | Directly a diminutive of Maria. |
| Origin | English (flower name) | Scandinavian/Italian, via Maria |
| Pronunciation | /ˈlɪli/ | /ˈmiːə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| 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) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #5 (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 Mia is recorded with a Scandinavian/Italian, via Maria origin.
- Lily has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Mia.
- Lily's recorded meaning differs from Mia'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 Mia 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
Mia
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #357 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2008 (recorded 1997–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls