Lily vs Petra
Lily and Petracompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Lily was ranked #3 and Petra #1097 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Lily was ranked #5 and Petra #625 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Lily was ranked #123 and Petra #120 among girls in Norway.
Lily and Petra over time
Lily and Petra appear together in 3 published lists, across 69 years of shared records. Lily held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Petra in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Lily reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Petra 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Lily and Petra changed places 6 times in Norway · Girls between 1994 and 2025, ending at #123 and #120.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Girls within 2 years — Lily #90 in 2024, Petra #120 in 2025.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Lily held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Petra in 0.
Highest recorded here: Lily #3 in 2011, Petra #897 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lily #3, Petra #1097.
Norway · Girls26 shared years, 1994–2025
Lily held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Petra in 5.
Highest recorded here: Lily #90 in 2024, Petra #120 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #123, Petra #120.
Republic of Ireland · Girls14 shared years, 1981–2023
Lily held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Petra in 0.
Highest recorded here: Lily #5 in 2011, Petra #413 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Lily #5, Petra #625.
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 | Petra |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | From the English word for the lily flower. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | English (flower name) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈlɪli/ | Not yet recorded |
| 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 | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #1 (2025) | Norway · Girls #120 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Lily has a recorded origin (English (flower name)); Petra does not have one recorded yet.
- Lily and Petra both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Lily; Petra doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
- The available evidence gives Lily a "high" Data Confidence level and Petra 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
Petra
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #193 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: #120 among girls in Norway, in 2025 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #120 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls