Lily vs Mila
Lily and Milacompared 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 Mila #80 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Lily was ranked #3 and Mila #46 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Lily was ranked #4 and Mila #30 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Lily was ranked #6 and Mila #150 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Lily was ranked #7 and Mila #11 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Lily was ranked #9 and Mila #21 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Lily was ranked #123 and Mila #102 among girls in Norway.
Lily and Mila over time
Lily and Mila appear together in 6 published lists, across 115 years of shared records. Lily held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Mila in 0.
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.
Mila reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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 2025, Mila moved ahead of Lily in Norway · Girls — #90 and #93 the year before became #123 and #102.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Lily and Mila changed places 6 times in New Zealand · Girls between 2010 and 2023, ending at #7 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 2023, Mila #18 in 2022.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Lily held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Mila in 0.
Highest recorded here: Lily #3 in 2011, Mila #35 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lily #3, Mila #46.
Republic of Ireland · Girls23 shared years, 2002–2025
Lily held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Mila in 0.
Highest recorded here: Lily #1 in 2025, Mila #58 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #1, Mila #80.
Norway · Girls20 shared years, 2001–2025
Lily held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Mila in 7.
Highest recorded here: Lily #90 in 2024, Mila #82 in 2019.
The order changed in 2025: Mila moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #90 and #93; by 2025 that had become #123 and #102.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #123, Mila #102.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls15 shared years, 2011–2025
Lily held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Mila in 0.
Highest recorded here: Lily #7 in 2023, Mila #18 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #9, Mila #21.
New Zealand · Girls14 shared years, 2010–2023
Lily held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Mila in 6.
Highest recorded here: Lily #5 in 2022, Mila #4 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Lily #7, Mila #11.
Northern Ireland · Girls14 shared years, 2011–2024
Lily held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Mila in 0.
Highest recorded here: Lily #5 in 2011, Mila #72 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lily #6, Mila #150.
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 | Mila |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | From the English word for the lily flower. | Commonly interpreted as 'gracious, dear', from the Slavic element milu. Originally used as a short form of longer names containing that element before becoming an independent given name. |
| Origin | English (flower name) | Slavic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈlɪli/ | /ˈmi.ɫa/ |
| 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) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #21 (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 Mila is recorded with a Slavic origin.
- Lily and Mila both have 2 syllables.
- Lily's recorded meaning differs from Mila'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 Mila 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
Mila
Popularity journey
First recorded1981
First recorded at #653 among girls in Norway in 1981 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded2010–2023
Highest recorded position: #4 among girls in New Zealand, in 2022 (recorded 2010–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #21 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls