Compare Names
Search for up to 4 names to compare side by side, or browse a curated comparison below.
- Grace
- Lily
| Field | Grace | Lily |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Grace, favour (the English virtue word, used directly as a name). | From the English word for the lily flower. |
| Origin | English (virtue name), from Latin gratia | English (flower name) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɡɹeɪs/ | /ˈlɪli/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Gracie | Lil, Lilah, Lillie, Lilly, Lilian |
| Recorded regional usage | New South Wales, Australia, England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, Norway, New Zealand | New South Wales, Australia, England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, Norway, New Zealand |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #4 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #1 (2025) |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- Grace is recorded with a English (virtue name), from Latin gratia origin, while Lily is recorded with a English (flower name) origin.
- Grace and Lily both have 2 syllables.
- Grace's recorded meaning differs from Lily's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
Name rivalries — pairs whose positions genuinely passed each other →
Curated comparisons
Two of the UK's most enduringly popular girls' names, both with a soft, flowing sound and a similar era of peak popularity — the choice usually comes down to origin story and nickname preference.
Both are currently the most-used boys' names in several English-speaking countries. Oliver leans slightly more classic/literary; Noah is shorter and more globally portable.
Both short, currently-fashionable UK names — Freya carries Norse mythological weight, while Isla is a Scottish place name that reads as slightly softer and more understated.
Both carry regal, 'strength'-adjacent meanings and centuries of royal usage — Alexander is the more internationally familiar choice, Magnus the more distinctive.