Namewise

Lily vs Summer

Lily and Summercompared 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 Summer #115 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Lily was ranked #3 and Summer #112 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Lily was ranked #4 and Summer #96 among girls in Scotland.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Lily was ranked #6 and Summer #161 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 2023, Lily was ranked #7 and Summer #87 among girls in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 2025, Lily was ranked #9 and Summer #89 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

Lily and Summer over time

Lily and Summer appear together in 5 published lists, across 123 years of shared records. Lily held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Summer in 0.

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.

Summer reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Lily in none. 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.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 21 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Lily and Summer averaged 46.2 places apart, ending at #9 and #89.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Lily #7 in 2010, Summer #38 in 2010.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 19962024

    Lily held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Summer in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Lily #3 in 2011, Summer #23 in 2008.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Lily #3, Summer #112.

  • New Zealand · Girls25 shared years, 19982023

    Lily held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Summer in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Lily #5 in 2022, Summer #28 in 2011.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Lily #7, Summer #87.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 19992024

    Lily held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Summer in 1.

    Highest recorded here: Lily #5 in 2011, Summer #65 in 2008.

    The order changed in 2000: Lily moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #344 and #227; by 2000 that had become #282 and #348.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Lily #6, Summer #161.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls23 shared years, 20032025

    Lily held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Summer in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Lily #1 in 2025, Summer #115 in 2025.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #1, Summer #115.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls21 shared years, 20052025

    Lily held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Summer in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Lily #7 in 2010, Summer #38 in 2010.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Lily #9, Summer #89.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Lily, Summer
FieldLilySummer
Record typeEditorially researched profileOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningFrom the English word for the lily flower.Not yet recorded
OriginEnglish (flower name)Not yet recorded
Pronunciation/ˈlɪli/Not yet recorded
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)New South Wales, Australia · Girls #89 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/100Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencehighmedium

What the data shows

  • Lily has a recorded origin (English (flower name)); Summer does not have one recorded yet.
  • Lily and Summer both have 2 syllables.
  • A meaning is recorded for Lily; Summer doesn't have one written yet.
  • 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 Summer 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 #9 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

Summer

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1996

    First recorded at #206 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    England and Wales · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1996–2024

    Highest recorded position: #23 among girls in England and Wales, in 2008 (recorded 1996–2024).

    England and Wales · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #89 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls