Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Emily or lily?

22 replies

Dawncarter100287 · 24/04/2022 13:10

So I’m having a girl and I never thought choosing a name would be this hard Im in love with the name the name lily I just think it’s so classic timeless and beautiful and has never been mega popular so you can’t tie it to a certain time. Unfortunately my husband likes the name Emily, To me Emily is VERY 90s/2000s because i remember being a teenager thinking it was a really pretty and unique name I’d never really heard it before. The thing that puts me off is I live in the southern US now and here it was the number 1 name every year 1996-2007 and everyone I’ve asked has said it is very dated over here now because it was it was the kind of on trend name to give to your baby, it was popular in uk at the same time aswell but was more trendy in the US I think so im not really keen. I looked up it’s popularity and it’s already dropping, But he thinks the name is pretty🙂so I’m abit lost on what I should do, to me lily has never been mega popular for specific years so it ages better (I used to have a 90 year old neighbour called lily which makes me like it even more) the only problem is with Lily is they said it sounds like an “old ladies name” , my man said she grew up with a lot of Lily’s in the 1940s but Emily was unheard of🤷🏻‍♀️I do like the sound of Emily but like a lot of names it’s mega popularity in specific years has made it sound dated. What name does everyone like better?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Dawncarter100287 · 24/04/2022 13:12

Sorry about the spelling mistakes I meant to say my family thinks lily sounds like an “ old ladies name” and my Nan said lily was really common when she was a child.

OP posts:
DramaAlpaca · 24/04/2022 13:14

I much prefer Lily.

Theoldwoman · 24/04/2022 13:18

Team Emily here!

Lillian is nice though.

KangarooKenny · 24/04/2022 13:19

Emily is nicer IMO.

NerrSnerr · 24/04/2022 13:19

I like both but just a heads up that Lily is really popular where I live in the South west for little ones. I know quite a few little girls called Lily.

WallaceinAnderland · 24/04/2022 13:26

Won't Lily be very popular now after Harry naming his daughter that? Or is he not popular enough.

If you can't agree you should veto both names and keep looking.

uncomfortablydumb53 · 24/04/2022 13:26

Emily definitely

timoteigirl · 24/04/2022 13:27

I really dislike Emily but to me it is like Laura, way too common. Lily could outdate as so common now. But I also really dislike Charlotte and Amelia, too so maybe it's just me. I considered Lilyella for my daughter and am now so glad I didn't.
What is it like about these names? nameberry.com/baby-names/155/names-ending-in--ly-for-girls

KirstenBlest · 24/04/2022 14:18

Emily

tearinghairout · 24/04/2022 14:23

Lily. It's cool.

I've never liked Emily. To me it's frilly and so dull. It reminds me of the old lady on Coronation Street from years ago.

MurderAtTheBeautyPageant · 24/04/2022 14:41

Lily.

Emily has to be one of the dreariest names possible.

Lily has been v popular in the UK for several years now (as has Emily) but is probably less common where you are in the UK. My main advice would be: stop asking people beyond your husband what they think of your name choices. All that matters is that you and your partner agree. It doesn't matter what Aunt Myrtle and Uncle Hank think. Lovely though I'm sure they are.

MurderAtTheBeautyPageant · 24/04/2022 14:41
  • where you are in the US I meant to say
Shiningstarr · 24/04/2022 14:43

I like both names, but wouldn't choose Emily personally as it's just too common.

user3199 · 24/04/2022 15:11

I prefer Lily to Emily. Like a PP I also really like Lillian.

KirstenBlest · 24/04/2022 15:46

I don't like Lilian

PeaceLurking9to5 · 24/04/2022 15:53

They're both very pretty and you can't go wrong with either of them, but both sound a bit 2000 to my ear now. Not that that's bad, names are always dating. It's unavoidable.

I think Emily has a bit more longevity to be honest. I know Emily born 1969 so it never fell completely out of use even when it was rare. Lily on the other hand it seems to me was not used at all for 50 years and then exploded with a bang from around 1998 or so.

Fashions change and stronger sounding names will replace Lily and the many other very soft names that were popular at the same time. Eg, Ellie, Molly, Milly, Mia

I'd choose Emily and give a stronger middle name.

SummaLuvin · 24/04/2022 21:16

Something to consider with Emily is how it is said in your region. My region has a relaxed, lazy style which means Emily is pronounced EMM-LEE or even EMM-LEH, the sound of the 'I' completely dropped. I know an Emily who finds this infuriating, but because it's more of the accent than an actual mispronunciation it's not correctable. This might be entirely irrelevant to you though!

Luredbyapomegranate · 25/04/2022 15:21

If Emily is that popular where you are, how about.. Elodie, Amelie, Emma, Emmeline, Emilia, Amelia, or Emerald..

I find Lily fairly wet, but it’s certainly been very popular over here.

Verity, Felicity, Lucy, Sophie, Amy, Cecily, Cicely, Ismene, Selene are other y ending names you might like

PragmaticWench · 25/04/2022 15:29

What about Ettilie? A bit easier to get your tongue around than the double L in Lily but still pretty.

delshell · 26/04/2022 12:28

I like Emily but love Lily, so that would be my choice!

ButterRose · 05/05/2022 10:06

I would go with Emmeline or Amelia both Emily and Lily will date badly I think

Lemonlemon88 · 05/05/2022 10:16

I prefer Emma to Emily. Have you considered Eloise or Elodie? I know an Elizabeth who is nicknamed Lilly.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page