Mila vs Poppy
Mila 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Mila was ranked #40 and Poppy #7 among girls in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Mila was ranked #11 and Poppy #36 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Mila was ranked #21 and Poppy #45 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Mila was ranked #30 and Poppy #24 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Mila was ranked #150 and Poppy #47 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Mila was ranked #80 and Poppy #105 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Mila and Poppy over time
Mila and Poppy appear together in 5 published lists, across 96 years of shared records. Poppy held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Mila in 2.
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.
Mila reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Poppy 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 2011, Mila moved ahead of Poppy in New Zealand · Girls — #84 and #70 the year before became #31 and #77.
- Longest-running competitions
Mila and Poppy were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #40 and #7.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Mila #18 in 2022, Poppy #44 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Mila held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Poppy in 30.
Highest recorded here: Mila #35 in 2023, Poppy #5 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mila #40, Poppy #7.
Republic of Ireland · Girls23 shared years, 2002–2025
Mila held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Poppy in 12.
Highest recorded here: Mila #58 in 2022, Poppy #89 in 2024.
The order changed in 2015: Mila moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #142 and #100; by 2015 that had become #88 and #135.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mila #80, Poppy #105.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls15 shared years, 2011–2025
Mila held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Poppy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Mila #18 in 2022, Poppy #44 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mila #21, Poppy #45.
New Zealand · Girls14 shared years, 2010–2023
Mila held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Poppy in 1.
Highest recorded here: Mila #4 in 2022, Poppy #27 in 2020.
The order changed in 2011: Mila moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #84 and #70; by 2011 that had become #31 and #77.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Mila #11, Poppy #36.
Northern Ireland · Girls14 shared years, 2011–2024
Mila held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Poppy in 14.
Highest recorded here: Mila #72 in 2018, Poppy #27 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mila #150, Poppy #47.
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 | Mila | Poppy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'gracious, dear', from the Slavic element milu. Originally used as a short form of longer names containing that element before becoming an independent given name. | Taken directly from the English word for the red flower. |
| Origin | Slavic | English, from Old English popæg, ultimately from Latin papaver |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmi.ɫa/ | /ˈpɒpi/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #21 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #7 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Mila is recorded with a Slavic origin, while Poppy is recorded with a English, from Old English popæg, ultimately from Latin papaver origin.
- Mila and Poppy both have 2 syllables.
- Mila'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.
How each name got here
Mila
Popularity journey
First recorded1981
First recorded at #653 among girls in Norway in 1981 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded2010–2023
Highest recorded position: #4 among girls in New Zealand, in 2022 (recorded 2010–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #40 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Poppy
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in England and Wales, in 2014 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #7 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls