Lily vs Sophia
Lily and Sophiacompared 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 Sophia #14 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Lily was ranked #2 and Sophia #13 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Lily was ranked #4 and Sophia #6 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Lily was ranked #9 and Sophia #6 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Lily was ranked #6 and Sophia #8 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Lily was ranked #7 and Sophia #29 among girls in New Zealand.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Lily was ranked #123 and Sophia #88 among girls in Norway.
Lily and Sophia over time
Lily and Sophia appear together in 6 published lists, across 172 years of shared records. Lily held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Sophia in 1.
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.
Sophia reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Lily 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 2016, Lily moved ahead of Sophia in New Zealand · Girls — #20 and #19 the year before became #12 and #22.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Lily and Sophia changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2025, ending at #2 and #13.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Lily and Sophia averaged 21.1 places apart, ending at #2 and #13.
- Longest-running competitions
Lily and Sophia were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #2 and #13.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Lily #5 in 2011, Sophia #4 in 2011.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls36 shared years, 1981–2025
Lily held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Sophia in 11.
Highest recorded here: Lily #1 in 2025, Sophia #13 in 2023.
The order changed in 2001: Lily moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #120 and #109; by 2001 that had become #91 and #128.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #1, Sophia #14.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Lily held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Sophia in 3.
Highest recorded here: Lily #2 in 2025, Sophia #7 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #2, Sophia #13.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2025
Lily held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Sophia in 13.
Highest recorded here: Lily #7 in 2010, Sophia #6 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #9, Sophia #6.
New Zealand · Girls27 shared years, 1997–2023
Lily held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Sophia in 4.
Highest recorded here: Lily #5 in 2022, Sophia #9 in 2012.
The order changed in 2016: Lily moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #20 and #19; by 2016 that had become #12 and #22.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Lily #7, Sophia #29.
Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1999–2024
Lily held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Sophia in 12.
Highest recorded here: Lily #5 in 2011, Sophia #4 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lily #6, Sophia #8.
Norway · Girls25 shared years, 1997–2025
Lily held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Sophia in 24.
Highest recorded here: Lily #90 in 2024, Sophia #59 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #123, Sophia #88.
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 | Sophia |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | From the English word for the lily flower. | Wisdom. |
| Origin | English (flower name) | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈlɪli/ | /soʊˈfiə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Lil, Lilah, Lillie, Lilly, Lilian | Sophie, Sofia |
| 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 #6 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- Lily is recorded with a English (flower name) origin, while Sophia is recorded with a Greek origin.
- Lily and Sophia both have 2 syllables.
- Lily's recorded meaning differs from Sophia's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
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 #2 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Sophia
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #325 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #4 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2011 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #13 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls