Namewise

Lily vs Poppy

Lily and Poppycompared 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 Poppy #105 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Lily was ranked #2 and Poppy #7 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Lily was ranked #4 and Poppy #24 among girls in Scotland.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Lily was ranked #6 and Poppy #47 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 2023, Lily was ranked #7 and Poppy #36 among girls in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 2025, Lily was ranked #9 and Poppy #45 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

Lily and Poppy over time

Lily and Poppy appear together in 5 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. Lily held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Poppy in 0.

The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Poppy 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 2001, Lily moved ahead of Poppy in Northern Ireland · Girls — #282 and #282 the year before became #176 and #293.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Lily and Poppy changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2025, ending at #2 and #7.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Lily and Poppy averaged 16.6 places apart, ending at #2 and #7.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Lily and Poppy were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #2 and #7.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Girls within 2 years — Lily #5 in 2022, Poppy #27 in 2020.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Lily held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Poppy in 5.

    Highest recorded here: Lily #2 in 2025, Poppy #5 in 2014.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #2, Poppy #7.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1991–2025

    Lily held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Poppy in 1.

    Highest recorded here: Lily #1 in 2025, Poppy #89 in 2024.

    The order changed in 1997: Lily moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #523 and #456; by 1997 that had become #254 and #496.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #1, Poppy #105.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 2000–2024

    Lily held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Poppy in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Lily #5 in 2011, Poppy #27 in 2021.

    The order changed in 2001: Lily moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #282 and #282; by 2001 that had become #176 and #293.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Lily #6, Poppy #47.

  • New Zealand · Girls19 shared years, 2005–2023

    Lily held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Poppy in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Lily #5 in 2022, Poppy #27 in 2020.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Lily #7, Poppy #36.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls17 shared years, 2009–2025

    Lily held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Poppy in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Lily #7 in 2010, Poppy #44 in 2024.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #9, Poppy #45.

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 Poppy

Pairs where Poppy 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, Poppy
FieldLilyPoppy
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningFrom the English word for the lily flower.Taken directly from the English word for the red flower.
OriginEnglish (flower name)English, from Old English popæg, ultimately from Latin papaver
Pronunciation/ˈlɪli//ˈpɒpi/
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, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #1 (2025)England and Wales · Girls #7 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencehighmedium

What the data shows

  • Lily is recorded with a English (flower name) origin, while Poppy is recorded with a English, from Old English popæg, ultimately from Latin papaver origin.
  • Lily and Poppy both have 2 syllables.
  • Lily's recorded meaning differs from Poppy's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
  • The available evidence gives Lily a "high" Data Confidence level and Poppy 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

Poppy

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1990

    First recorded at #517 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1990 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in England and Wales, in 2014 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #7 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls