Abigail vs Zara
Abigail and Zaracompared 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, Abigail was ranked #102 and Zara #36 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Abigail was ranked #55 and Zara #47 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Abigail was ranked #57 and Zara #47 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Abigail was ranked #80 and Zara #64 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Abigail was ranked #115 and Zara #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Abigail was ranked #154 and Zara #69 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Abigail was ranked #273 and Zara #490 among girls in Norway.
Abigail and Zara over time
Abigail and Zara appear together in 6 published lists, across 176 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 5 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Abigail reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Zara in 1. 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 took the other's place near the top
In New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Zara moved into the top 50 at #47 in 2025 as Abigail fell out of it to #55, having been #48 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2017, Zara moved ahead of Abigail in England and Wales · Girls — #58 and #68 the year before became #73 and #70.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Abigail and Zara changed places 9 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 2004 and 2025, ending at #55 and #47.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Abigail and Zara averaged 56.0 places apart, ending at #154 and #69.
- Longest-running competitions
Abigail and Zara were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 48 years, from 1975 to 2025, ending at #115 and #66.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Abigail #29 in 2005, Zara #32 in 2007.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls48 shared years, 1975–2025
Abigail held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Zara in 20.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #36 in 2008, Zara #43 in 2019.
The order changed in 2023: Zara moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #84 and #88; by 2023 that had become #84 and #57.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Abigail #115, Zara #66.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Abigail held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Zara in 8.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #19 in 2000, Zara #66 in 2019.
The order changed in 2017: Zara moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #58 and #68; by 2017 that had become #73 and #70.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Abigail #154, Zara #69.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Abigail held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Zara in 16.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #29 in 2005, Zara #32 in 2007.
The order changed in 2016: Zara moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #34 and #46; by 2016 that had become #44 and #39.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Abigail #80, Zara #64.
Norway · Girls25 shared years, 1988–2025
Abigail held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Zara in 14.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #246 in 2022, Zara #260 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Abigail #273, Zara #490.
New Zealand · Girls24 shared years, 1999–2023
Abigail held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Zara in 6.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #30 in 2010, Zara #32 in 2013.
The order changed in 2023: Zara moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #64 and #69; by 2023 that had become #57 and #47.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Abigail #57, Zara #47.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls22 shared years, 2004–2025
Abigail held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Zara in 15.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #24 in 2010, Zara #23 in 2016.
The order changed in 2025: Zara moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #48 and #58; by 2025 that had become #55 and #47.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Abigail #55, Zara #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 | Abigail | Zara |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 | 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #55 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #47 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Abigail has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Zara.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Abigail
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #303 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in England and Wales, in 2000 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #55 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Zara
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #559 among girls in Norway in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded2001–2025
Highest recorded position: #23 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2016 (recorded 2001–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #47 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls