Namewise

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 2025, Lily was ranked #2 and Nora #75 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 108 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.

Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 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.

  • 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 England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #2 and #75.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Lily #2 in 2025, Nora #75 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 · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Lily held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Nora in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Lily #2 in 2025, Nora #75 in 2025.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #2, Nora #75.

  • 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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Lily

Pairs where Lily shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Nora

Pairs where Nora shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — peaked in the same years.

All peaked in the same years→

Other pairs from Republic of Ireland lists

Pairs measured inside Republic of Ireland's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

Republic of Ireland overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Lily, Nora
FieldLilyNora
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningFrom 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.
OriginEnglish (flower name)English/Irish, short form of Honora or Eleanor
Pronunciation/ˈlɪli//ˈnɔrə/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesLil, Lilah, Lillie, Lilly, LilianNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #1 (2025)Norway · Girls #3 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencehighmedium

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

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1981–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025 (recorded 1981–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #2 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Nora

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1945–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Norway, in 2014 (recorded 1945–2025).

    Norway · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #75 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls