Lily vs Nora
Lily and Noracompared 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 Nora #76 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Lily was ranked #3 and Nora #86 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Lily was ranked #123 and Nora #3 among girls in Norway.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Lily was ranked #4 and Nora #72 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Lily was ranked #6 and Nora #44 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Lily was ranked #9 and Nora #52 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Lily and Nora over time
Lily and Nora appear together in 4 published lists, across 107 years of shared records. Lily held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Nora in 1.
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.
Lily reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Nora 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 1999, Lily moved ahead of Nora in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #222 and #213 the year before became #185 and #194.
- Longest-running competitions
Lily and Nora were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 36 years, from 1981 to 2025, ending at #1 and #76.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Lily #1 in 2025, Nora #76 in 2025.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls36 shared years, 1981–2025
Lily held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Nora in 9.
Highest recorded here: Lily #1 in 2025, Nora #76 in 2025.
The order changed in 1999: Lily moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #222 and #213; by 1999 that had become #185 and #194.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #1, Nora #76.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Lily held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Nora in 0.
Highest recorded here: Lily #3 in 2011, Nora #86 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lily #3, Nora #86.
Norway · Girls26 shared years, 1994–2025
Lily held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Nora in 26.
Highest recorded here: Lily #90 in 2024, Nora #1 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #123, Nora #3.
Northern Ireland · Girls16 shared years, 2007–2024
Lily held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Nora in 0.
Highest recorded here: Lily #5 in 2011, Nora #44 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lily #6, Nora #44.
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 | Nora |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | From the English word for the lily flower. | A short form of the names Honora (linked to Latin 'honor') or Eleanor — not an independently rooted name; Behind the Name does not specify which is the 'true' source for any given historical bearer. |
| Origin | English (flower name) | English/Irish, short form of Honora or Eleanor |
| Pronunciation | /ˈlɪli/ | /ˈnɔrə/ |
| 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 |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #1 (2025) | Norway · Girls #3 (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 Nora is recorded with a English/Irish, short form of Honora or Eleanor origin.
- Lily and Nora both have 2 syllables.
- Lily's recorded meaning differs from Nora's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
- The available evidence gives Lily a "high" Data Confidence level and Nora 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
Nora
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #219 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: #1 among girls in Norway, in 2014 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #52 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls