Lyla vs Penny
Lyla and Pennycompared 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.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Lyla was ranked #68 and Penny #138 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Lyla was ranked #74 and Penny #193 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Lyla was ranked #110 and Penny #134 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Lyla was ranked #138 and Penny #156 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Lyla and Penny over time
Lyla and Penny appear together in 3 published lists, across 60 years of shared records. Penny held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Lyla in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Penny reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Lyla 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2024, Lyla moved ahead of Penny in Northern Ireland · Girls — #102 and #102 the year before became #110 and #134.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Lyla #71 in 2022, Penny #67 in 2022.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls26 shared years, 1996–2024
Lyla held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Penny in 6.
Highest recorded here: Lyla #74 in 2024, Penny #166 in 2020.
The order changed in 2005: Lyla moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #1715 and #655; by 2005 that had become #303 and #824.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lyla #74, Penny #193.
Republic of Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 2007–2025
Lyla held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Penny in 15.
Highest recorded here: Lyla #118 in 2023, Penny #82 in 2022.
The order changed in 2024: Lyla moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #118 and #93; by 2024 that had become #126 and #130.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lyla #138, Penny #156.
Northern Ireland · Girls16 shared years, 2009–2024
Lyla held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Penny in 13.
Highest recorded here: Lyla #71 in 2022, Penny #67 in 2022.
The order changed in 2024: Lyla moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #102 and #102; by 2024 that had become #110 and #134.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lyla #110, Penny #134.
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 | Lyla | Penny |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #138 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #156 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Lyla and Penny both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Lyla
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #3795 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
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #138 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Penny
Popularity journey
First recorded1973
First recorded at #508 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1973 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2009–2024
Highest recorded position: #67 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 2009–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #156 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls